A trans-identifying male student at a Maine high school has been accused of a violent assault on a female classmate last Friday after video of the incident was made public. The student had previously faced sexual harassment complaints at another school which were not addressed.
A biological male student attacked a female classmate outside Mount Desert Island High School in Bar Harbor. The student reportedly struck the girl in the head with a metal water bottle, pinned her to the ground, and bit her eye while pulling her hair and smashing her head into the pavement, according to The Maine Wire. The outlet also obtained additional unreleased footage corroborating the family’s allegations, showing the attacker violently hitting the victim with the bottle, straddling her, and attempting to rip out her hair.
“He full on attacks her, gets on top of her and pins her down,” the mother of the victim shared with the Maine Wire. “So she’s not even able to defend herself in any way because he’s bigger, he’s heavier, he’s like six-feet tall.”
“The whole time, she’s just screaming for help, crying and screaming, ‘somebody help.’ And nobody helped her,” the mother added. “The principal sat there and screamed at them instead of helping. And [her daughter] said, ‘Mom, I really thought I was going to die. I thought that was it. I thought I was never going to see you again.’ And that’s probably the hardest thing to hear.”
The victim has sought medical treatment for her injuries and is being evaluated for a potential orbital bone fracture that has caused vision problems.
The students have reportedly known each other since elementary school, and the altercation allegedly stemmed from online comments involving the attacker and a friend of the victim. The victim’s parents admitted that their daughter had made aggressive remarks towards the transgender student in an attempt to defend her friend.
This incident follows a history of troubling behavior from the attacker at a different high school, where the student was permitted to use the girls' bathroom due to their gender identity. There, the student allegedly engaged in inappropriate behavior, including peeping at girls and taking photos of them in the bathroom, as well as being accused of masturbating.
Around 20 students, including the victim from Friday, protested the student's inclusion in the girls' bathroom, with signs reading, “I should not be afraid to use the bathroom,” “Protect our bodies,” and “No more peeking through the door.” Despite the protests, school administrators did not revise their policies and reportedly threatened students who recorded the protest with suspension.
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