shocking. I think these 8 young adults that helped beat this young lady, should be identified and banned from school permenatly. They should also all be arrested

This is a brave young lady. Her presentation was very moving to the entire audience. The school is expected to protect it's students. That did not appear to happen here. Very sad.
I would like to see the names of the attackers in print. Their parents should be held responsible as well. These sound like bad seeds amoung the general school population.

It was very brave of this young lady to get up in a public setting and talk about the act of violence that she had to suffer through. I hope that the police were contacted and all those involved were arrested. I imagine they are all minors so we will not know who they are, but at the very least they should no longer be allowed to set foot on school premises.

Whenever there is a case of head lice, for example, the district sends a letter home. Why doesn’t a violent assault on school grounds warrant a formal notification, at the very least, to the parents of students who attend West?

Wow - no student should ever have to endure such a horrific experience. My heart goes out to her. I hope that the students learn a valuable lesson from this and find the courage to stand up to bullies.

However, it does appear as if the district acted within the tenants of the law. The law is the law... If people are outraged, they should direct it to the State and not to Ed Ehmann. His hands are obviously tied.

Why is this the first time I am hearing about something as violent as this happening in the schools???? Did not see anything in the local papers about this and this story deserves to be heard by all. The girls who attacked her should be suspended from school for the remainder of the year--let their parents pay for private education!!!!

Can someone tell me what legal ramifications there would be if the victim of the attack publicized the names of the attackers? Also, do any of the participants in this attack have a troubling history in school?

I agree with SMSF ! This is the first time I an hearing of this .What a horrific experience .What makes these 8 people better then her? They should be suspended indefinitly! This makes me so angry ! How dare they? What kind of parents do they have .

I don't even know where to begin to comment about this, but I do know that once those students decided to act like animals with their gang mentality, they certainly should have lost all their rights to any type of privacy and I am appalled to say that I grew up here and still live here. What the hell is going on with society? I think they should all have their names displayed publicly so that we know who and what we are dealing with. We are supposed to feel safe sending our children to school - are you kidding me? Where is the security in this building - aside of course from the 5 or 6 security guards who are outside the building making sure no one parks in the wrong spot, and keep the loop moving smoothly - that's comforting, isn't it? How about posting a guard outside the bathrooms at least. There is no reason whatsoever that boys standing outside a girl's restroom should have gone unnoticed by ANYONE, let alone any yelling or cheering on that was coming from inside. I hope this young woman makes a full recovery physically, emotionally and mentally.

Erika, you are brave to put down your negative comments and hopefully you will realize how wrong you are to defend the assaulters. No one deserves to be assaulted. The school district doesn't seem to have handled the situation well or the girl in question wouldn't have come to the Board. I think the assaulters should have charges brought against them. If it was my daughter I would be filing charges.

Erica, an attack is an attack regardless of who you hear the story from. There are medical examinations to prove the severity of her attack. Aside from that you should be more than embarrassed to think that what happened tot Gabby was not an absolute tragedy. Could have avoided it? Honestly cannot believe you are blaming the victim of a brutal assault. You are morally bankrupt and should consider seeking guidance from a mature role model who can help steer you in the right direction. You are truly misguided.

Erica Margaret, Actions? What Actions? Why?- maybe she verbally said something hurtful...so what! No one deserves to have their head banged against a cement wall! This is a horrific thing that happened to Gabrielle, not only physically but emotionally. My heart goes out to her. The school is highly responsible for not having a teacher on duty infront of that bathroom. No bathroom nor hallway should "EVER" be unattended especially if there are young adults who act like animals!!! I hope ALL names are released & they are properly punished! And yes, they should be banned from school; let them be home schooled for the rest of the year!

I'm sure Erica Margaret must be having a hard time in school now that she has revealed herself on the side of the assaulters. I almost feel sorry for her since when she made her statements she didn't realize what she was saying. She does have her right to an opinion so let's just say a prayer for her and stop with the attacks on her. I wonder if she will respond to any of us.

I am a student in the district (who does not go to West). I did not know about this until I heard from someone who does not go to West, and I do not know anything of the parties involved. After listening to this and reading the article, then reading Erica Margaret's comment, and then reading the response, I felt compelled to comment on this issue. I understand that my opinion may lead some of you to believe that my possible defense of Erica means I am involved somehow. I can tell you right now this is untrue, and that is a fact.

While I in no way agree with the actions of assault the attackers took against Gabrielle, Erica makes a good point in that it is somewhat biased. There is absolutely nothing from the other side; doesn't it seem strange that it suddenly came to this? Would it even make sense for this to be a random act of bullying? Of course, I cannot answer these questions as I have no idea of anything that is going on. But all of you people responding seem to be parents, or "responsible adults," and your views are slanted by your having children, and also being out of high school for a notable number of years. High school is not this cut-and-dry. It is very likely there is more to the story than this article reveals. And yes, even so, even if there provocation, this isn't right.

But as "responsible adults," isn't it hypocritical to be so condescending and make such a slippery slope of assumptions? There are so many things that are completely taken out of Erica's mouth. She did not make the claim that this attack was her fault; she only suggested that this could have been avoided if prior actions were (not) taken. Aren't you guys biased just the same by assuming that this is a black-and-white, attackers wrong, victim pure and right situation?

Reading dismissals such as "immature" or "poor taste," or better yet, telling another parent's child what they will learn is just irritating to read. How do you know there was nothing from the other side? I surely don't, and while I don't think this is right, I don't feel I can make a conclusive judgment. Erica could have been an attacker on another occasion, perhaps outside of school. Oh, and to immediately assume that she is one of the attackers? Based on what, a comment? I'm not an attacker, but does that mean because I expressed an opinion I will be assumed to be one? I don't even go to that school.

People around here are too used to throwing away legal threats; it's lawsuit this, lawsuit that. Why not wait until this is all settled before throwing around those words, because a court of law is based on evidence. There's no report of the victim filing charges so far; objectively, should one question why? I'm sure Mr. Ehmann is adhering to the law as best as he can right now, and that's all we can ask.

I graduated from West almost 10 years ago and had a very similar experience while in my Junior year of high school. After a verbal argument in school one day, my ex-boyfriend, his new girlfriend and 10+ other teenagers they were friends with (and some I had formerly been friends with) showed up at my house right after school and assaulted me in the street, I was left in the hospital with a broken nose, concussion, and bruised ribs. Both my former boyfriend and the girl were arrested and received restraining orders against them. I was escorted by a guard to and from classes for a few weeks, which I found humilating at the time, but just like Gabrielle said, I was absolutely terrified. He was eventually expelled from school, while she was just suspended for a few weeks. My family and I considered many different options afterward, which included me moving in with family and switching schools just to stay away from Smithtown. I decided on my own to stay in school, but it was very hard for me returning after what had happened, No one deserves to be afraid to go to school...no one. It is completely unacceptable for an attack like this to take place WITHIN the school and the school officials not to take every possible action to protect her.

Oy We Heart. I don't understand what you are talking about. What are my many opinions. A kid is assaulted while others cheer on the attack. My opinion-That was wrong. Erica has an opinion about why the girl got attacked. That is her opinion and she is entitled to it. I think that she was brave to speak out-another opinion-even though the victim suffered. So stop already with my so many opinions.

You would think a story this big in my school (yes, I go to west) would bring on a lot of rumors, drama, and talk across the student body. But surprisingly, this fight (or let's say assault) was not talked about that much. Also, administration never said a word about this incident to the student body. It's sad that something of this nature goes on during the school day and on school grounds. Furthermore, the security at this school is under-staffed. There's no security in the hallways during the change of periods. I personally don't know Gabrielle, but she was out of school for a good time due to these savage kids who serve no purpose in our school. Expulsion is necessary for this aberration.

Hey Anonymous

Go back and watch the video and this time, actually listen to it!!
Charges were filed and there was an arrest for 3rd degree assault and unlawful imprisonment.
Orders of protection were for 3 of the students. Obviously the police and the court system believe there is a case

I apologize, when I first watched the video, for some reason it cut short before the 2-minute mark, so I missed a lot of the video (I heard up to her returning to school, but before the nightmares are mentioned).
Keep in mind, I am only trying to be unbiased.

I followed Gabby at the podium on Tuesday night and it was very hard to not be emotional, she was courageous in her request for transparency in the assault that took place at West. How many of you have FOIL'd the calls and incident reports from our school district. Probably not too many-copies at my house! Too many "altercations" take place but no one talks about it because it doesn't look good. Well folks yes bullying is in our town too, and unfortunately this does appear to be a premeditated assault (too many students involved). Why didn't the BoE leadership at the very least apoligize for the assault publicly and make a decisive action to convene a policy meeting (T Knox chair) so that Smithtown can draw up a policy on bullying. A policy gives the administration and BoE POWER to have a districtwide procedure to follow when a bullying episode leads to an assault. Terri was more concerned in the past few months to shut the people of Smithtown out of the discussion (public participation decreased to 3 mins as per the Chair of policy) but yet she has not convened a meeting to develop a bullying policy. Our Code of Conduct has no teeth without a policy. Hey folks please remember this in May!

Anonymous, I don't think the intent was to "talk down" to Erica, but she is a teenager who chose to express her opinion in a forum where most of the participants are parents. If she felt confident enough to put herself out there then she should be able to handle the feedback. I notice that we haven't heard anything from her besides her initial comment.

I was at the January 10th Board meeting. It was appalling on every level. There is no question that Gabrielle was violently attacked. Those that believe it is okay for an argument to end in any violence never mind an attack of 8 to 1 have issues that go well beyond this forum. I wish the above tape ran 5 minutes longer so that everyone could watch the BOE dismiss Gabrielle's comments. Gabrielle asked that the disciplinary policy be reviewed. The initial BOE response was to call up the next speaker.Thank you to that speaker along with the community members that insisted the BOE respond. The response was a very weak address from the Superintendent Ehmann, who is retiring in 5 months. The BOE was silent. Isn't it a BOE meeting? What is Smithtown's policy on violence and bullying? Where is our no tolerance policy? It is time for the BOE to do what they where elected to do: Make decisions and policies to improve the school district and educate and protect the students. Everyone keep in mind that the BOE will hire the new Superintendent. By the way, has anyone heard from Smithtown West Principal John Coady? Let us all remember in May how we feel now and get out to VOTE!

I was not at the meeting, but Concerned Parent I agree with you completely - they should have allowed us to see the BOE's response, but of course were too afraid, or just don't care enough, which is so blatantly obvious. Is it too much for us to expect that our children are safe in school? My goodness we take care of our children so diligently, making sure they are healthy and we do our best to make sure they make good choices, and then we are expected to just blindly send them into a school that apparently is not concerned with their safe-being. I just don't understand this mentality. It's a law to send our children to school - it should be a law that the school district will keep them safe. And I also agree that people can have disagreements, but you are never to put your hands on anyone else - and this was definitely gang mentality which is scary on so many levels. And why wasn't anyone notified of this by the school - what's with the secrecy?????

Gabrielle, fine job!
That evening you asked the board members ” how many more times does this have to happen? “..........and recieved no response. It seems their priorities that evening were on Changing Existing Policy and reducing the speaking time of “The People” from 5 min to 3 min. They quickly forgot how they once stood at that same microphone and enjoyed the benefits of their voice being heard. It is a Cowardly act in my opinion to once stand with “The People”, ask them for their votes, and then vote against “The People”, where is their loyality.

One last word. When I worked as a teacher in the Smithtown schools, besides making education fun for the kids I was always on the look out for bulliers. I defended the child being bullied, spoke to the kids doing the bullyers and alerted the staff to the situation. I'm only reacting to one Patcher who seemed to think I was on the side of the assaulters. I'm sure Erica is sorry she ever spoke up her opinion. Let's be grown ups and not shout her down. I work in an inner city school as a volunteer and surprisingly I don't see, at least in the lower grades, any child being bullied. It is so refreshing to get on with the job of teaching instead of policing.

It makes you sick to listen to this. I wish I had money to send my kids to private school. I think I will send my daughter to school with a wistle in her pocket from now on.If it were leagal a taser! NOt that it would help much since no one heard this girl scream. I would like to know what bathroom to avoid. When I was there the one I saw was between towers so a little isolated. I guess West had better fix their security hole!!! If you cant be every where mix it up a little . It sounds like the kids know where the security is all the time. NOT GOOD! Since one of the girls involved was part of a previous attack I would assume that everyone should be aware of their surroundings. Use the buddy system when going to the bathroom. Make sure you are with someone who has your back. Oh wait isnt this what happened to Gabrielle? Ok make sure it is a friend you were not just fighting with. Girls are vicious!! They have too many mean girl role models on TV.

If anyone knows the attackers names can you post them. If anyone hears that they are back in one of our high schools please let the community know by posting on patch because we know the school district won't. It would be nice to know if these animals are back in school with our kids.

People also have to remember the School Board are not resposible for the actions of your kids. NO one has mentioned the parents of these kids attacking Gabrielle in the bathroom. They must be so proud of the job they have done! I too have had the conversation with my kids that you need to think before you act. If you go and hurt someone at school and you get exspelled that punishment would be nothing compared to the punishment at home! A little fear goes a long way. I do agree if the school district put all this money into their zero tolerance bullying campaign that there had better be a fitting punishment to back it up! IT is obvious that the punishiment is not enough if one girl is on her second offense. When I first heard that I instantly thought that maybe this girl put this in the attackers head. That is just as bad as throwing the punches. If you where there cheered it on and did nothing to stop it you are as bad as the attacker in my oppinion.

.I agree, but the administration is responsible to report assaults to the police right away which they didn't. They were more concerned about covering it up so the public didn't find out about it. I wonder if the BOE was told about the attack or they learned about it with the rest of us at the BOE meeting by Gabrielle. If so why weren't pissed about not being told by the administration.

Since I posted a comment yesterday morning about the horrible attack Gabrielle endured, this thread has become overrun with a lynch mob mentality by some. The people who were involved in this attack are presumably minors thus their names cannot be made public. Let the police and courts handle them. So many of the posts are filled with hate towards the parents of the those who were involved in the attack, the teenage girl who posted a view opposite of what most have said and the kids involved.

Patch editors, perhaps you need to step in to some of these threads and shut them down to comments when things get out of hand.

Gabby thanks for standing up for yourself. When things are hidden nothing changes. I don't want to be afraid to go to high school next year. When I heard your story i was so shocked that this had happened to you because you treat everybody kindly and i never thought that this would happen to you or anyone else. -Dana Hernitche

yeah her and her mom put together a nice sob story but how about we don't just listen to one persons one sided story and speak to the girl that's being accused of the assault what might have pushed her to something such as this..like the stress she had in school from all the girls that constantly called her disgusting names including that sweet innocent girl at the podium or the the struggles she has outside of school and the things she had to go through even as a child this whole thing is garbage and all you people can scrutinize and point your fingers all you want but Liz is the one who stood up for herself

Hello everyone,
8 people attacked this girl? Are you all out of your minds? It was one girl. There are liars in this world, have you ever heard of a liar before? It's someone that does not tell the truth. The parents are psychotic and they have nothing better to do because their daughter got punched in the face three times. It's high school! A girl calls another girl a slut and gets hit. Oh, and yes congratulations that you are all aduts! These girls are in high school. They're in 10th grade and these things happen everyday. I'm just letting you all know this is a fool.

Two words..."private placement".

Whatever this girl did she didn't deserve to be attacked!!! The 8 teens that did this have serious anger issues. They need to be accountable for their actions.

The problem I have with this is that we are only hearing one side of a story. And the story we are hearing was clearly written by someone else, (probably the mother).
Before we judge, we must hear all sides before making any conclusions. This girl states that four boys were blocking the bathroom entrance however two girls are being prosecuted for blocking the entrance. Which was it, four boys or two girls? A story needs to make sense and when it doesn't make sense it can't be true. That's what Judge Judy always say's and she's one smart lady.

On last thought. This is not bullying. The definition of bullying is "A person is bullied when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons, and he or she has difficulty defending him or herself." This girls and her family are taking this way to far and I feel it is an insult to children that are actually bullied.
This girl called another girl a slut and got bunched. This is what high school girls do. Now, I'm not saying that it's right but it's the fact. It's clear to me that these parents are looking for a pay day from the school system. Mark my words, if they haven't filed a lawsuit against the school system, they will.
I also know that many of you think that I am wrong ,however I too have a 16 year old that experience a similar incident and I never took it this far. For me it wasn't about money and it is for these people. I dealt with the incident the right way.
Also, she states that there were 8 people involved in this assault but only 3 are being prosecuted. Why? Why only three? If 8 people were involved, then why aren’t the other 5 not being prosecuted? Like I said, none of this makes sense. Think about! It looks like an attempt to be played out in a civil suit up to the fullest extent, for a nice a payout from the Smithtown school district and then higher taxes for all of us to pay. Again let’s review this girl’s inconsistency and hear both sides before we judge anyone.

I thought there were 4 boys and 1 girl blocking the bathroom door. It's what she clearly stated in her speech. Also, why don't you clearly state who you are, which is the victims mother. You seem like you obviously have nothing better to do then attach other people's opinions.
The victim also stated that one of the boys that was blocking the door threating to stab her. Please explain to me why this boy is not being criminally prosecuted along with the others who were blocking the door. It seems to me that you are unfairly pinpointing particular students.

Two girls in the bathroom. One was the attacker, one the victim. The rest stood outside bathroom. There was no one blocking her exit.

The girl organized an out right gang style ambush. This is wrong period. Anthony, I know you are trying to defend your friend. I must tell you while many people have problems at home; planning this kind of violent altercation has no excuse! It can never be right and society will not accept this ever! Regardless of what Gabby might have done, she did not deserve this. It is a simple case of right or wrong. Organizing, and premeditating a "jump" on this girl is simply criminal, and that is it. It won't matter to a judge what kind of life your friend or her family has!
Too many kids are followers in this town, it is sad that none of these co-conspirators had any common sense to stop this attack before it happened! By Tenth grade, kids should have more of a sense of moral and civil responsibility. Parents still have an obligation/ job to teach their children, they should know who and what is going on in their teens lives...talk to them...I have 3 teenagers 2 in HS 1 in MS. I am confident in my own kids humility, and strength morally.... and it just didn't get there by accident!

Part 1

Everything you state is purely opinion. There was no ambush planned and this was no gang attack.

How dare you attack the parents in this situation and accuse people of having problems at home and no morals. Have you people lost you minds?

I happen to know the parents of one of these students and they are fine people who are very active in the community and well as the Church. What everyone does not know is that until about 1 hour before the fight, these girls were all friends and friends since junior high. Why is no one mentioning the fact that one of the very girls that is being prosecuting was the same person who ran in the bathroom and broke the fight up? You state no one came to her rescue but that again is not true.

I agree Gabby should have never been physically attacked and I feel awful that she was. I in no way condone it and I am a parent of a child who was a victim of bulling, real bullying that went on for a while.

Part 2
Also, why are you making false statements about students not being punished properly? That is another lie. The assaulter was suspended for 4 months and everyone else who was supposedly by the door, all received out of school suspension for the maximum allowed time by the school legally. The school has done nothing-wrong here and they are in no way taking sides or protecting these students. There are privacy laws. They can not be excused because this one girl was in a fight. This incident has been so fabricated and blown out of proportion that it’s ridiculous.

The true story is goes like this. Two girls walked into the bathroom and started arguing. When everyone heard the arguing, other students ran by the bathroom to see what was going on. One girl got punched a few times, which is awful and it should not have happened and then another girl ran in to break it up and it was over. Please explain how this is an ambush or better yet a gang attack. I’m sorry Gabby endured this and again I do not condone it, however you can not expect the school to permanently expel 8 students because one student hit another student. These students have the constitutional right to an education in there zoned school dist

Part 3
In addition, if a boy who supposedly carries’s knives threatened to stab my daughter, he would probably be the first one I would try to criminally prosecute and the one I would fear the most. Furthermore if the parents are truly concerned for their daughter’s safety, why would they send her to school if they believe this boy is a real threat?

I still can’t understand why criminal charges have not been filed against this boy or the other 4 students you stated were blocking her exit and prevented her from leaving the bathroom. Just as you stated, the other two students are being prosecuted for just that.
This is obviously being played up to the fullest. Everyone watch, next there will be a lawsuit on the school. I am a local parent in this community and I have children who attend school here. Please look at both sides before you really judge.

I am very sorry for Gabby P., its a terrible thing that happened and probably one that will be remembered by her and her family always as to what happened to her in high school. She is brave for getting up there. I do remember she was never popular with kids in elementary and middle school, so she was probably trying to branch out and make new friends and picked the wrong people.

Poor Parenting, Poor Parenting. The apples never fall far from the tree!

This article started out as a disscusion on school policy as it related to this incident. It appears to have the potential of turning into another attack on people including Ms Petagna. Mr Verry, maybe it's time to close this one down?

close this thread for what reason? i for one as a parent of three would'nt even it get this far. those 8 students would be dealing with me and me alone....no police. my father would have put me in the ground if i attacked one person with the help of 7 others. kids dont fear their parents today, because they are told that they all have rights. its a shame, no winners here at all.

I have to tell you that I am sick for people who try to make it sound like they are innocent victims. This girl did not deserve to be hit by any one however, this girl is by far an innocent victim. Her behavior with her mouth and text messages alone has shown that she herself is a bully. the old saying that sticks and stones may break your bones but words will never hurt you, does not work in the world of teenagers. Words do hurt and sometimes they hurt more than a physical punch. If she didn't start the bullying first, she would have never received what she did in return.

joan that might be true, and i would'nt have a problem with a one on one beatdown....really. three people in the bathroom and five outside of it, thats a little much. the potential of something going really wrong was very high. think about it, what if the girl was permantly hurt or killed, think about all the lives that would be forever affected. not just the girls but the other eight people involved. it would change thered lives forever...over what? name calling? texting? things get get way out of hand when theres a pack mentallity going on. when i was in school many of agruments were settled with a good fight. unfortunatly that does'nt fly today. to many laywers and liabilities.

First of all their was no attack!!!!!!!! One girl got punch by one girl and one girl only. People were just standing around as teenagers do. The girl was hit three times and the fight was broken up in less than 10 seconds. And the girl that broke the fight up is being prosecuted. Makes no sense to me. It also makes no sense that 5 of the eight kids are still in school and not being criminally prosecuted by the parents and the others are. Again makes no sense to me. Things have just been blown out of proportion. This case is nothing but fabrication and lies and it will be proven in court. In court case’s everything about a person is revealed and some things should just stay behind closed doors. In addition words can’t convict a person or persons, proof is needed.

fair enough joan....i was'nt there. i'm just responding to whats been posted here. sounds like your real close to someone involved though. at the very least there was an assault correct?you said one girl was punched three times by one girl and one only. so what to do about that?

I'm not close to anyone, And yes one girl attacked another girl because of her bullying mouth. It's not right! Fighting doesn't solve anything and I don't condone it. However, I don't believe that's its right to pull everyone else in. The other people that are being prosecuted, especially the one who broke up the fight should not be included in this at all. All this does is teaching this girl that the next time she see's a fight or anyone that needs help, to walk away, mind her own business. Is that the kind of lessen we want to teach our children. "Not to get involved" - "Not to help others". I don't teach my children that!!!!! Another thing, what about the mental bullying this girl did to the girl who hit her. Mental bullying lingers, hurts young minds and can stay with them for years to come. Is that right???? Why is it that a girl get's bunch and now it's called bullying? That's not bullying! That’s a fight and a fight only and to take it to this level is ridiculous. If I were the other girls parent I would prosecute their daughter for the verbal abuse and bullying she stowed upon her.

joan i dont really disagree with you. i'd like to see the person or persons that you are refering to file a complaint prior to the incident. were any complaints filed with either the school or SCPD? if so, and nothing was done and the bullying proceeded, then i agree the girl had it coming. if no complaints were filed then the kids involved need to understand that they should'nt take matters into there own hands.

K.P resident, Teenagers have minds that are not fully developed and they usually never complain to authorities that someone is bullying them verbally. It's just not done. For this reason, more awareness needs to be made regarding bullying, not just physcial bullying but mental and verbal. I agree with you that they shouldn't take matters into there own hands but don't you agree that these parents have gone way to far? Don't you agree that they girl who broke up the fight should not be prosecuted? Please answer my questions!

i wasnt there but if what you say is true then the girl who broke up the fight should be thanked not prosecuted.awareness of bullying is very important, but we also have to teach our children how to react to cedrtain situations.i just want you to picture if this bathroom incident went horribly wrong....what would the "8" kids involved have to stand on. you certainly dont want to say afterwards that the girl that was hit deserved it because she was a bully. no, you would want to see a paper trail to back that up. so it is very important to let our children know how to react to bullying situations. i have full access to my daughters facebook for just that reason. i delete freinds of hers if i dont like what i read. you have to be all over that kind of stuff. i hope in the end the truth comes out and lessons are learned. on both sides.

AGAIN!!!!! I REPEAT AGAIN. There was only two people involved in the fight. NOT 8!!!!!
So, to think about what could have, should have happened with the 8 kids is a mute point. Don't you get it. It was the girl who got hit and the girl who hit her.

joan, you dont get it. was there three girls plus the girl that got hit in the bathroom? were 5 of there friends waiting outside the bathroom? it doesnt look good. all i here from you is the girl that got hit deserved it. either your a kid possibly a friend of any of the accussed or your the mom of the girl that broke up the fight. either way teach your kids not to be in this situation. talk to them. create a paper trail if your kid is getting bullied....OTHERWISE IT DIDNT HAPPEN. you say two people others are saying 8, guess what the one girl got the worst of it so its the 8 kids that need to prove they did nothing wrong and the one girl deserved it. stop being so closed minded. think if your kid was the one getting beat.

You definitely have an issue with understanding the English language and you’re the one that is closed minded and ignorant at that. Either you’re a teenager, the mother of the child that was hit or a friend of that family. I never and I repeat, never stated that the girl who was hit deserved it. So, don't put words in my mouth. How dare you!!!!!!!!! I will repeat myself since you can't seem to retain information that you have read. This time I will make it as simple as possible for your feeble mind.
1. One girl hit another girl.
2. The girl who was hit didn't serve to be hit.
3. 8 kids were not involved. ONLY TWO - the hitter and the receiver - is that simple enough to understand.
4. The receiver (the one who was hit) is not an innocent victim but a verbal bully herself (however she did not deserve to be hit)
5. The speech that the girl gave is all fabrications written by someone else.
6. And you know what......this girl will have to prove all her lies because without proof IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.

god bless you joan....i'm done with you. hope it works out for you and your kid. i hope all kids involved learn a lesson from this....and aparantly some parents too. never once did i insult you or miss quote you....maybe the apple doesnt fall far from the tree. good job mom.

The 2 girls that got prosecuted are the ones that have to prove they didn't do it. None of these teenagers would last 5 minutes in the city

Joan, I agree with you this woman KP resident, is either nuts or she is the girl's mother. She doesn't seem to get it. This family has taken this situation to far.

molly read my posts, i've agreed with joan on a few things. my kids go to kings park schools and i'm a dad....good read. the girl that got hit could certainly have problems....but we need to teach our kids how to deal with that. that makes me nuts? re-read my posts. joan states that everyone knows this kid has problems and bullys others and send bad text messages. i would hope that the kids affected by this have those text saved and have documented the bullying. thats all...is that nuts, its called covering your arse.i dont know or care to know the family. all i know is what was posted here. i only commented on what was posted here. so i dont think i look nutty...i think its the other way around. if you are'nt directly involved then i would take this oppertunity to talk to your kids about this kind of stuff. if the arrested kids are innocent well then thats a real tuff spot to be in. teach your kids how not to wind up in that situation. thats all. i'll be speaking to my daughter about your situation in your school. also molly is it nescessary to name call? isnt that a precursor to bullying?

The thing that most of you do not understand is that there was ONLY two people INSIDE of the bathroom ONLY two people INSIDE of the bathroom The rest were watching from OUTSIDE of the bathroom. EVEN THE TWO GIRLS THAT ARE BEING CHARGED FOR UNLAWFUL IMPRISONMENT WERE OUTSIDE OF THE BATHROOM AND IN NO WAY BLOCKING THE EXIT. The girls standing OUTSIDE the bathroom did not have any contact with her and never said "no you cant leave" or anything along those lines! I think most of you also do not understand that there is NO DOOR for the bathroom entrance/exit. NO DOOR. You can see RIGHT into the bathroom. It is so wrong what the one boy said and he should be charged. The girl that got punched A COUPLE TIMES did not fall on the ground once and was standing the entire time. THIS WAS NOT PLANNED. The girls who were INSIDE of the bathroom were talking at first and then it turned into a fight. And the one girl being charged for unlawful imprisonment is the one that broke it up! The other girl with the same charge had no idea who the person getting beat up was so why would she want to block her exit? No one wanted this girl to get hurt. All of these people WATCHING the fight did not think there was going to be physical hitting from the 2 girls.They probably thought this because the so called "victim" (the girl that got beat up) is a bully herself. I could say things about her that would eliminate everyone's belief of her innocence.

that certainly makes things different. its a sad situation all the way around. again speak to your children about this. it's a bad situation and it could have been worse.

you know whats funny kp resident, you believe everything you hear. go away.

funny thing is that all three of you are the same person.

first post only here? woooo hooooo i think your the nutty one Ha Ha Ha Ha!!!!!!!!!

this is getting absurd, a lot of the recent posts sound like elementary school children fighting with each other!

It's clear all sides have been heard on this, comments are now closed.