A viral video of an Indian-American student in Texas being choked by another student has sparked outrage after the Indian-American received a harsher punishment for the incident.
The incident occurred at Coppell Middle School in the Dallas area last week. The disturbing video shows a white student choking Indian-American student Shaan Pritmani and demanding he give up his seat at a table.
When Pritmani refused, the white student choked him even harder and dragged him away from the table as other students cheered. See video of the incident below. Be warned that some may find it disturbing.
On Wednesday, May 11th, during lunch, Shaan Pritmani was physically attacked and choked by another student at his middle school. \n\nSign the @change @ChangeOrg_India @ChangeOrg_Hindi \nhttps://www.change.org/p/assaults-at-schools-protect-the-victim\u00a0\u2026\nVideo: Disturbing \nRT\n@TandonRaveena @Pink @siddarthpaim @ChelseaClintonpic.twitter.com/lLEceSawbn— Ravi Karkara (@Ravi Karkara) 1652725535
In the wake of the incident, the school informed Pritmani's parents that he was found at fault for the incident and would receive a three-day in-school suspension as punishment, while the student who choked him received just one.
When Pritmani's parents submitted the viral video of the assault they were told by school officials that no amendments to the punishment would be made.
The school also allegedly demanded that a School Resource Officer not document the incident because the school has had so many bullying complaints. The Coppell Police Department also refused Pritmani's parents' request for a formal complaint.
In a statement, Coppell School Superintendent Dr. Brad Hunt said:
"Bullying, both verbal and physical, as well as physical acts of aggression are never acceptable and do not align with who we are at CISD and our core values."
But the statement was woefully inadequate for Pritmani's parents, who filed a Change.org petition that has received more than 360,000 signatures.
In it, they demand that Pritmani's aggressor be expelled and say their son feels unsafe at Coppell. It reads:
"Due to lack of support from the Coppell ISD and Coppell PD to correctly handle this assault, we are demanding that the aggressor be removed from my son's school immediately."
"Shaan should never have to take a class, interact, or pass the hallways with this aggressor ever again."
Many on Twitter agreed, and found the incident egregious and shocking.
Shaan Pritmani gets choked out by a bully and passes out.\n\nShaan suspended for 3 days and the bully gets suspended for 1.\n\nSchool officials didn\u2019t write a formal complaint bc there\u2019s been \u201ctoo many complaints of bullying\u201d. \n\nDisgusting.pic.twitter.com/RrSkYnnBvw— Rohun \u26f3\ufe0f (@Rohun \u26f3\ufe0f) 1652742600
Just Texas being garbage again.\nHe could have seriously injured or killed him. The lack of action by the school is appalling.https://twitter.com/ravikarkara/status/1526267636795035648\u00a0\u2026— Betwixt n Between (@Betwixt n Between) 1652925859
I\u2019m horrified by this. Shaan Pritmani did not deserve what happened to him. Shame on that bully, shame on the school administration, and shame on all those students who watched and laughed as a classmate was physically assaulted. No one stood up for that boy and it is SICK.https://twitter.com/ravikarkara/status/1526267636795035648\u00a0\u2026— Skylar \u201cWHAT MOUTH?\u201d Ezell is a Helluva Writer (@Skylar \u201cWHAT MOUTH?\u201d Ezell is a Helluva Writer) 1652836070
Just another day in the fascist states of America.https://twitter.com/ravikarkara/status/1526267636795035648\u00a0\u2026— aanet (@aanet) 1652900511
White kid just got 1 day suspension.\nHe must've learned that he only get a slap on his wrist and bullying others are not a big deal.\nThis is how people learns White privilege/entitlement.\n\nTHEY DON'T GET PUNISHED FOR THEIR WRONG DOINGhttps://twitter.com/ravikarkara/status/1526267636795035648\u00a0\u2026— \u30b5\u30c1\ud83d\udc9cSachi (@\u30b5\u30c1\ud83d\udc9cSachi) 1652882968
Imagine what this kid will be like as an adult if he has this little disregard for his fellow student at this age.https://twitter.com/ravikarkara/status/1526267636795035648\u00a0\u2026— John Galt (@John Galt) 1652930993
Our sense of justice is skewed. Why isn't this bully given a more severe punishment than the 1 day suspension? BTW the victim was given a 3 day suspension. Can anybody explain this logic?https://twitter.com/ravikarkara/status/1526267636795035648\u00a0\u2026— Dennis JD, B.S.E.E. Committed to turn TX & US Blue (@Dennis JD, B.S.E.E. Committed to turn TX & US Blue) 1652884714
A teenager Shaan Pritmani was attacked and choked by another student for sitting in an empty seat. The other teen, a wrestler, chokes him. Shaan was penalized by the school. Honestly, this is enraging. And the school is still \u201cinvestigating.\u201dhttps://twitter.com/ravikarkara/status/1526267636795035648\u00a0\u2026— Reshma Gopaldas (@Reshma Gopaldas) 1652731132
the us has absolutely no right to lecture the world about human rights when immigrants and blacks are discriminated against there every single day. and how the other kids are cheering the bully instead of stopping him. shameful and disturbing.https://twitter.com/ravikarkara/status/1526267636795035648\u00a0\u2026— saloniparashar (@saloniparashar) 1652905337
Pritmani's parents are said to have sought legal representation while they await the results of the school's internal investigation.
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