Although a 16-year-old who beat up a 13-year-old at Leflore County High School was transferred to an alternative school, the victim of the incident is still afraid to go to campus.
Gladys Ramsey, the mother of Barry 'B.J.' Ramsey, said she was in the hospital on Jan. 31 when her daughter called saying her son was in the emergency room after being beaten up by a student wearing brass knuckles.
Even though his attacker does not attend classes with him, B.J. still sees him at the bus stop and has said he wanders around the school campus.
Now he wants to move to Belzoni with his father so he can go to school there, Ramsey said. B.J. does not know why he was attacked, he said.
B.J. missed school for two weeks to heal and still has the mark of a tube inserted into one side of his head to drain fluid from swelling.
"I don't think they're doing their job," Ramsey said of school administrators. "They're not making it safe for the kids."
Ramsey said B.J.'s sister took him to the Itta Bena police department on Jan. 31 and on Feb. 20 to file a complaint.
The police department said it could not release information regarding juveniles and that reports involving minors are turned over to youth court.
Leflore County High School principal Charles T. Ollie confirmed that the fight occurred.
"That has been resolved as far as my handling of the matter is concerned," Ollie said.
Ollie said he suspended the student, the student went to juvenile court, and the student was now attending an alternative school.
Students like Ramsey's attacker "have a place where they are to go when they come to school in the morning (to wait on their bus). They are not to wander campus," Ollie said.
Those caught wandering campus would receive further disciplinary action, he said.
Ollie said school officials can only assure parents that they will do all they can to maintain an environment conducive to learning and safety. Ollie said he assured Ramsey that students were safe at school, he said.
