Mom says video shows bullying in Fayetteville
FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina (WTVD) -- The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office is investigating a viral video of a school fight that a Fayetteville mom says was started by a bully.
Alice Phillips and her two boys, Christopher and Alex, just moved here to Fayetteville from Massachusetts over the summer. Phillips says her 7th-grade son Christopher has been bullied ever since.
"Kids are just mean. They call names. It makes me angry. I want to fight but I know better than to fight," said Christopher Skarzynski.
Every day, Christopher and his brother walk home from Ireland Drive and Douglas Byrd Middle Schools.
On Tuesday, Christopher was taunted and attacked by a female student. In the video, Christopher clutches a large stick as his attacker hurls racial slurs before pushing him to the ground and putting him in a chokehold. The whole incident was caught on video by Christopher's younger brother Alex who says he wanted to help but knew he couldn't fight back.
"I knew something was probably going to happen, so I pulled out my phone and started recording the thing and her calling him slurs," said Alex Skarzynski.
His mother fought back tears Wednesday as she described what she saw in that video.
"I see a bully just looking to impress people. She needs some serious help. And my son getting attacked and assaulted by this girl. It's unimaginable, and you never think it's going to happen to your child," she said.
Christopher's mother said she hopes this story creates awareness of an issue that hundreds of students struggle with every day.
"I want other children to know that we're standing up for them and other kids that get bullied. I'm standing up for all of them," said Alice Phillips.
Phillips is looking at other schools for the boys to transfer to. Cumberland County Schools say they have a zero-tolerance policy for bullying. There's an open investigation into the viral video. However, the school system says they never had any formal complaints from Phillips about the female student in the video.
