Pittsburgh-area high school student had part of ear bitten off during fight, mom says
A Washington County mother said part of her son's ear was bitten off during a fight with another student at Ringgold High School.
The fight between the two students occurred in the bathroom of the high school, with each of the boys' parents speaking out in defense of their child. Each parent accuses the other student of bullying their child, though the school has remained mum on the specifics of the fight.
Here's what each parent is saying.
Mom said school "failed" her son
The mother of the boy who had part of his ear bitten off said she warned school leaders numerous times about her child being bullied on their watch.
Then her worst nightmare happened. The mother said she got a call from the high school telling her that her son had part of his ear bitten off.
"They told me that they would make sure that my son was protected," she said.
The woman, who asked to remain anonymous for her family's safety, said she knew it was just a matter of time before something bad happened to her son.
She said repeated calls, emails and visits to the school about her son's bullying went unheard.
"I begged this school for the last two solid months to help me," the victim's mother said.
Her son's ongoing struggle with his alleged bully came to a boiling point earlier this month when the two boys ran into each other in the school's bathroom.
She said a fight broke out and ended violently when her son got the top of his right ear bitten off.
"He has part of his ear missing, so we have to wait six months to a year to start with the first surgery. There will be numerous," she said.
Despite the severity of the incident, she said the attacker is back in school after a 10-day suspension. She said the punishment doesn't fit the crime.
"My son's ear is gone. He's going to have a deformed ear. My son tried to kill himself because he is so depressed. My son is going to counseling. He has PTSD," she said.
Dad says his son was defending himself
The other student's father said it's the other way around, and his son was only defending himself.
"My son is not the aggressor," Mario Alejandro said.
Mario Alejandro reached out to KDKA-TV for the opportunity to tell his son's side of the story. When he heard the other teen's mother calling his son a bully, he felt he had to speak out and set the record straight.
"I don't appreciate the lady saying my son is a bully. I apologize for what happened, but all my son could do is defend himself," Alejandro said.
Both parties agree that the beef between the two boys began sometime last summer, but where they differ is which one couldn't let the grudge go.
So when Alejandro got the call from the school to say his son was involved in a fight, he wasn't surprised.
"As soon as my kid got out of the stall, he went in there and bum rushed him and was beating the hell out of him," Alejandro said.
Alejandro believes the fight was premeditated because one of the other teen's friends came into the bathroom with him and recorded the entire confrontation.
When asked why his son bit the boy's ear, he said he had no other choice.
"He said that was the last thing he could do to get him off of him," Alejandro said.
Since the incident, Alejandro said he and his family have been harassed
"Just leave us alone. Their due process already happened," Alejandro pleaded.
Alejandro said his son will not be returning to school in person. As part of his punishment, he will attend cyber school until the end of the year.
Ringgold School District responds
The Ringgold School District said it does not comment on student disciplinary matters. But in a statement to KDKA, it said:
"It is committed to maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment for all students. We can confirm that all parties involved in this matter were afforded their appropriate due process, consistent with the district's policies and applicable legal standards."
