Black Kansas high school student Brey’anna Brown says she was standing up for herself when 15-year-old white boy yelled the ‘n-word’ and savagely attacked her in hallway leaving her with a broken nose
A black high school student from Kansas has said she was defending herself when a white 15-year-old boy attacked her when she confronted him for making racist comments.
Brey’anna Brown, a sophomore, says she has a broken nose after being attacked by a fellow Shawnee Mission East student – who has been charged with a misdemeanor for punching her.
The 15-year-old boy, who has not been named, was seen on video calling Brown the “n-word” before he began hitting her.
She then hit him back in self-defense, prompting the Prairie Village school to suspend her as well.
“I feel beside myself because I did what I did… I’m angry that I got suspended,” Brown told KSHB.
“The thought in my head was, I protect myself, or I run from it, or I get beat up, and I don’t know what else to do, so I chose to stand up for myself.”
“I’m a little scared to go back because I don’t know what to look forward to,” the girl added.
Brey’anna Brown, a sophomore, says she has a broken nose after being attacked by a fellow Shawnee Mission East student
At the beginning of the fight, you see the white student marching toward the female student and repeatedly using the N-word
Both students were suspended after the dispute on November 15, with the girl’s five-day suspension leading to the departure of 100 students on Monday. The protesters accused the school of punishing the victim.
‘We demand action! Protect students of color!’, one sign read. “We feel ‘safe’ and ‘Take action now,’ read others.
It is now known that the boy is facing separate charges related to a case in June. He has been charged in that case with two felonies and one misdemeanor, including aggravated battery, aggravated assault and battery, The Kansas City Star reported.
He is being held. The argument started when two girls got into an argument with the black girl. As she walked away, the boy got involved.
He yells at her, “Man, shut up!” before repeatedly making racist comments. The black girl turns and shouts down the hall, “Who said that!?”
The male student charges at the girl, throws his bag on the floor, physically attacks her and pushes her against a wall.
Despite being at a size disadvantage, she continues to fight back against the attack. ‘He said n****r! He said n****r!’” the person who filmed the altercation says repeatedly.
The attack ends when a teacher appears and assaults the male student, causing the pair to be separated.
Brown’s mother, Linyka, said that as someone who went to school in the same district, Johnson County, she was not surprised by the incident
The brawl led to a massive walkout at the Kansas school
According to U.S. News & World Report, 82 percent of students at Shawnee East are white, while 1.6 percent are black. Just over five percent identify as mixed race
The gathered students tell the teachers that the white boy threw the first punch.
A spokesperson for the school district told the Star that their office “takes incidents of racism and physical violence very seriously.” We do have a code of conduct and follow our policies and procedures.”
The Kansas Ciy Defender, citing student stories, said there have been other incidents at the school, including one in which the principal called black students “intimidating” and said it looked like they “might jump someone.”
One senior, Charlize Littlejohn, told the Kansas City Star that racism is “persistent” at the school.
Brown’s mother, Linyka, told KSHB that as someone who went to school in the same district, Johnson County, she was not surprised by the incident but still left “crazy.”
According to U.S. News & World Report, 82 percent of students at Shawnee East are white, while 1.6 percent are black. Just over five percent identify as mixed race.
Overall, there is a minority enrollment of 18 percent. It is ranked the second-best high school in the state for performance on state-required tests.