A Miami Beach mother has hired a lawyer and is demanding answers after her 11-year-old daughter was attacked in the cafeteria at Nautilus Middle School on Sept. 24.
Cellphone video recorded inside the school shows a student lunging at the girl at a cafeteria table, hooking an arm around her head and repeatedly striking her. The mother said she was called by the school nurse and arrived to find her daughter had been struck more than 40 times on the head.
The mother believes the fight grew out of cheerleading tryouts. Her daughter made the team, she said, while the other student was not selected.
Her attorney, Gina Raijman, said the school knew about escalating problems between the two students and failed to act to prevent the attack.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools said staff had met with the students before the fight to try to defuse the conflict. After the altercation, school administrators and Miami-Dade Schools Police responded, the district said, and the matter was handled under the student code of conduct and referred to law enforcement.
The victim has not returned to school. The student accused of the attack has been charged with aggravated battery and is expected to appear in juvenile court on Thursday.
