A 14-year-old Buddy Taylor Middle School student was suspended for 10 days Monday after he burned another student’s hair with a lighter as others took video of the incident to post on SnapChat.
Returning home, the 14 year old then assaulted boy he’d burned in the morning, telling him that “snitches get stitches.” The victim is 13. His mother opted against filing charges this time.
The incident took place on a school bus after it had picked up students in the area of Secretary Trail in Palm Coast. The 13-year-old student told a Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy that the older boy lit a lighter behind his head and singed the hairs on the back of his head, enough to burn an area about an inch and a half in diameter, according to a sheriff’s incident report. The deputy observed the area of the burn.
The student told Natah Lovelette, the principal, about the incident. The 14 year old got a referral and was suspended for 10 days from school. But when both students–who share a bus stop–got off at the intersection of Selma Trail and Secretary Trail Monday afternoon, the older boy told him that “snitches get stitches” and, according to the incident report, subsequently struck the younger boy in the left side of his face, knocking off his glasses. The boy “had a noticeable red mark near his left eye socket and there appeared to be minor swelling to the affected area,” the report states.
Video of the incident, provided by someone who had filmed it on a cell phone, shows the attack and the younger boy falling to the ground. The older boy had gotten a copy of the video and, according to the incident report, had “accidentally” texted the video to his mother’s boyfriend.
The boy who was twice attacked and his mother told the deputy they did not wish to pursue charges. While the deputy was investigating, the older boy’s mother mother arrived at the younger boy’s house and apologized for the incident. With her permission, a deputy spoke to her son, who closely corroborated the victim’s account. He said he never intended to burn the back of the younger boy’s hair but wanted to see what his reaction would be as several students on the bus were filming the incident to post on SnapChat, the image-messaging social media app which enables images to disappear after a set period. The boy said he did not mean to cause harm, but then was upset that the younger boy had told on him.
“The two juveniles shook hands on scene” and the older boy apologized for his actions, the incident report states. The younger boy’s mother said if anything like this ever happens again, she will pursue charges.
PCer says
This is why my kid is homeschooled for middle school. I commend the parent for having her kid apologize, but why was this ever allowed to get this far in the first place? I hope he no longer is in possession of a smart phone. If he has to have a phone, an old school flip phone will work just fine.
Ghost 77 says
A bully or indicative of someone already showing signs of mental health issues? And what about the victim…the next Sandy Hook in the making? Are they not prosecuting this bully for fear of retribution? So that he goes on to further, even more heinous, criminal acts in the future? And is this what’s wrong with un-restricted, un-supervised access by children of such social media sites? Why are their parents even allowing the children such access? And we wonder about all of the above in our society? Or do we just accept this as “the way it is” these days?
Anonymous says
Are you kidding me? What is wrong with these pairents, my child or not, pulling a stunt like that would call for severe punishment , not to mention therapy. I guarantee that lil boy will do it again only Next time it could be way worse, and the mother that didn’t stick up for her son, shame on you, what are you waiting for? Would you have done somthing if you were sitting with your child in the burn unit at children’s Hospitial? Maybe that’s where the mother of the boy or the police need to take him to show him what the burn unit looks like, then maybe he will understand the consequences of his actions. All I’m saying is WTH is wrong with Society these days. It’s just sad to here that got resolved By a bully and a scared boy with a hand shake,
Iknowall says
Our future looks bright! Feral animals seem to be running rampant in these schools nowadays. Sickening. And then to be so stupid to post online. He should be suspended for burning and punching the victim AND for being so stupid to post online.
gladfly says
@PCer…..I agree. These government schools are strictly garbage.
Mark says
What do you expect? It comes from the top down.
wow really says
These kids now a days are even more brutal then when I was growing up. I was bullied and ridiculed because of my religion and that was back in the 70’s. Kids are horrible. No excuse. They KNOW better they CHOOSE TO BE HORRIBLE> PRISON IS WAITING FOR THEM> AND they build more and more for the future rottens.
yourstrully says
I have one simple question: WHY WERE these students allowed to STILL take the same bus home???
I have a comment: The aggressor clearly shows signs of delinquency, and if not punished(more severely now), this juvenile will have his future all planned out for him.
Barb says
The cops can pursue domestic violence charges on their own, they should be able to do the same in cases like this.
A says
I hope the State Atty presses charges anyways! This is a crime and will not doubt happen again. I’m sorry, but the mother of the victim is teaching her son to accept violence on his person, and she is teaching a bully that he can get away with this behavior.
joseph pulitzer says
Yeah lets close all public schools because children get into trouble and do dumb things! Come on gladfly really?
woodchuck says
Who is to blame the child or the parents?Maybe both need foot to ass therapy.Keep an eye on this kid to see if he starts mutilating animals.If you don’t fix the problem now all will be lost.Now in school if they get caught beating up another kid they give him or her candy and a sticker and sent back to class.
datboi says
This is why we need president TRUMP more than ever. These kids could care less what they do to each other because theyve been brought up by a bunch of pc liberal idiots who think that cats can evolve to at least 12 inches above their average height and form crocadilian like features. With teaches spoon feeding these garbage to kids, who blames the kid for acting out, he probably thought that kid was gonna turn next! I say we fire all the teachers, abolish the public school system, deport the government to mexico and make the children build the wall with nothing but 100,000 500-piece lego playsets so they can learn the value of a dollar! Kids these days huh! No respect. And whats with that wham bam electronica music! all that gyrating and glowsticks and foreign powders, in my time we would have thought these kids were aliens from the hidden planet xenon and had them put to various experiments in a government lab. but i digress. Im just glad that the cats come out of the bag on Ted Cruz’s murderous past and that he wont have a chance to spray paint the whitehouse with the blood of innocent people.
Parent of the crazy bus says
Check the records. He was suspended from school for two days and the an additional 10 days from the bus. He was at school today, but could not ride the bus.
A.S.F. says
There is something seriously wrong with this picture. I wonder why Mom refused to press charges. Is she afraid that, if she does, her kid (or and other members of the family) will be targeted even more aggressively? Are the parents involved in more serious activity that they don’t want school authorities or anybody else to possibly be poking around in? This matter should NOT just be dropped.
Retired law enforcement says
Unbelievable, and I’m sure this ‘child” will never do another violent action again. Yeah right.
Maggie says
Palm Coast is such a crime ridden city. I retired here, and never would have thought that all these criminal incidents were taking place as it looks so pretty and well taken care of. In the north (NYC) where I come from you can tell what neighborhoods are “bad” and you stay away from them, down here, everything looks so pretty and peaceful but it’s very deceiving, it’s dangerous. Every store along and off Belle Terre has been robbed most by gunpoint, so many houses have been burglarized and cars stolen from your own driveway. Hoping to move out of this hell hole as soon as financially possible. Florida is not what it use to be years ago.
Ur mom says
When I was 14 my friends did the same stuff x10. Good thing everybody didn’t have a camera phone back then.
PCer says
@joseph, nobody said to close the schools down. But something needs to be done in a building where sex, drugs, and fighting are the norm. I chose to keep my kid out of it and homeschooled through middle school. It is a time when kids need to be closely watched to keep them from being introduced to the wrong element.
jeff says
All of you are hypocritical people. To all of the old grouchy people who were born in the midst of World War 2, and forgot how they were like in high school, need to realize that one bad decision does not determine the future of a person.. The kid may have committed a crime, but don’t blame the parents of the assaulted kid for being forgiving and understanding.
Adult says
Just because you acted like an idiot as a child, does not make it right. Maybe if someone did something like this to you or your child and posted it on the internet and had to take heat for it for the rest of your life, you might change your opinion.
Geezer says
Social media, is nothing but a brain-drain–some brains drained more than others.
I swear that some of these youngsters (and oldsters) can walk off a cliff while
updating their Facebook page. “Uh, I just picked my nose.”
One lady walked into the path of an oncoming train while texting.
http://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-us-texting-hit-by-train-20150310-story.html
That’s progress.
Cyd Weeks says
Ur Mom…. sometimes we laugh about what we did as kids and are grateful we are still alive, lol. Hopefully this youngster has learned a lesson and won’t be doing that anymore..or anything more stupid. I think the school did good with the long suspension, the mom did great teaching the kid how to apologize and ‘be a man’ about it. Who knows what privileges have been taken from this kid? Hopefully his lighter was. :)
HonkeyDude says
Wow the comments on here are more ignorant than the kids actions.
David B says
I think the suspended child should have been driven home by the principal or some school official.
Anonymous says
I am sure Homeschool an a flip phone will help the secure future of your child.
Flatsflyer says
I did not know that Donald Trump had children living in Palm Coast, bullies generally learn these skills from parents. No children is born with racist, bigoted and bullish tendencies, that taught and reinforced at home.
Name says
Really ?! Accidentally Texted the mother’s boyfriend with it ?! Who’s to blame?
Cyd Weeks says
Well…apparently the mom of the victim changed her mind. http://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20160513/NEWS/160519738/101025?Title=Palm-Coast-mom-seeks-charges-against-teen-accused-of-burning-son-s-hair
just me says
just my two cents at first i was one of those thinking what the HELL no charges against the assailant by the victims Mom? BUT then we see the MOM of the bad Kid seemed like how we would like any parent to act under such situations and the kids where made to shake hands and apologize. if this is the end of it is it NOT better for all involved?
Victim of bullied child buddy Taylor says
It’s a shame that they do absolutely nothing but pay a deputy at that school to shrug his shoulders and look the other way my son has been bullied been brought to THIER attention no resolution wonder why kids go off ..,,,, I don’t my kids a victim sad sad school district
Victim of bullied child buddy Taylor says
Oh b4 all the big mouths bark I’m aware it was the bus or bus stop …,, there is No supervision there cameras are always broke thank God for social media rats