A Maryland mother is scared for her daughter’s safety after she says her 14-year-old was attacked during school hours. Kayla Caldwell was headed to cheerleader practice on Dec. 5 when multiple bullies approached her and started beating her viciously.
The attack was all caught on video obtained by WUSA9. In the footage, 14-year-old Caldwell is seen on the floor as attackers repeatedly punch her in the head. “My daughter had a knot on the left side of her face,” her mother, Juanita, told NBC Washington. “On the right side, her eye and nose were, like, collectively swollen together. Maybe, like, just smushed in together. It was blood all over her face [and] blood all over her jacket.”
Juanita said the attack was so brutal, her daughter was lying on the floor for 30 minutes before a cheerleading coach found her. “She was going to the utility room to grab something else, and she discovered Kayla lying down on the floor unconscious,” the mother explained to WUSA9.
Despite the attack occurring weeks ago, not much has been done to bring justice to Caldwell, according to her mother. A rally was held at Thurgood Marshall Middle School to bring awareness to the violence and hopefully get Prince George’s County State Attorney’s Office to file charges in the case.
In response to the attack, the Prince George’s County School District said in a statement “appropriate disciplinary action was taken,” according to NBC Washington. Juanita revealed to WUSA9 six of the attackers were expelled from school, but she says that’s not enough. “The person who attacked her lives right in the next complex,” Juanita said. “Even if they’re expelled from school, they could walk around here and attack my child at any time.”
This is why Juanita is pushing for the juveniles to be arrested. “My child could be going to a trash can, my child could be going outside to the ice cream truck, and they can attack my child,” she continued.
According to Juanita, her daughter was attacked twice in the same day. “This is not a random act,” the mother said. “The ringleader punched my child at Thurgood Marshall [Middle School]. This is not a random act.” Juanita also claims the attacks on her daughter were premeditated, even mentioning previous altercations between her daughter and her attackers.
Now, it’s in the hands of the Department of Juvenile Services, who is currently reviewing the case. “We have indicated that we would like to receive that case because it is critically important that our schools are safe and that a strong message is sent to anyone that wants to hurt others if you do it at our schools, we are going to hold you accountable,” State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy said.