BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — A student at Martin County High School was hospitalized Monday after being assaulted in a school bathroom, his father said.

The student, who suffered a concussion and facial injuries, was treated and released later that day. He is pursuing criminal charges against the alleged attacker.

The incident occurred between 8:30 and 9 a.m., according to the boy’s father, who said his son was struck as soon as he entered the bathroom.

“When he got in the bathroom, the boy hit him,” the father said. “My son said he wasn’t 100% sure what he had in his hand, but he thought he had something. He was unsure because he was knocked out after the first hit.”

The father said his son recalled seeing three other boys leaning against the wall of the bathroom but remembered little else after regaining consciousness.

“All he remembers after he came to himself was that a boy picked him up and handed him to a teacher. He was covered in blood,” the father said.

The injured student was taken to the school nurse’s office, where he remained for about 35 minutes, according to his father. During that time, the school allowed the alleged assailant to be taken home by an assistant coach, the father said.

“My son sat in the nurse’s office with what we now know was a concussion,” he said. “They did not attempt to contact any emergency personnel for him, nor did they contact the police. We had to get the sheriff’s department ourselves.”

A family member transported the student to a hospital, where he received treatment for a concussion and multiple stitches for injuries to the inside and outside of his mouth.

The father said he has requested access to the school’s security footage of the incident but has not yet reviewed it. He added that several social media posts from students suggested that teachers and students outside the bathroom were unaware of what had taken place.

The father expressed concern about the school’s handling of the incident and the impact it has had on his son, who is a senior.

“This could have been deadly if things had gone farther,” he said. “Children should not have to worry about these types of things going on at school. School is supposed to be some of the best times of their lives. Now my son will have to be taken out of school for his senior year, and this will be what he will remember.”

The sheriff’s department spoke with several students, the father said, but no one confirmed what the alleged attacker had in his hand during the assault.

“We pray for the other child and family that were involved in this incident because there has to be a reason this all occurred,” the father said. “This could have been a tragedy for both families. The boy’s brother came to the nurse’s station and sat with my son, cried, and apologized multiple times for what his brother had done.”