And anyone else that reads this.

I work in a fairly small charter school. Around 300 students, actually. The teachers know most everyone within the walls. When something happens to a kid, even if they aren't "your" student, they still are.

Friday night, our school held its first dance. The parents put it on, and it seemed most of the kids were having a good time, especially the younger ones. However, some kids left the dance early.

They found themselves in a bit of trouble, as kids will often do when unsupervised. I cannot say exactly what happened, as I do not know...however, the end result was nothing short of horrific for me as this is my first time dealing with an issue like this.

Those beforementioned students crossed words evidently with kids from another school. Somehow, one of the kids got singled out from the group, and was beaten unconscious by four kids with baseball bats.

He lost seven teeth, had a broken jaw (which is now wired shut) severed his lower lip and tongue, had a large cut on the back of his head (now stapled together) and now has a metal plate in his skull. He is facing about a year's worth of reconstructive surgery. Evidently his attackers, all minors, focused mainly on his face.

I cannot tell you how hard it was to hold tears back in that early morning meeting today. It's still hard, and this kid wasn't even one of "mine."

There were no parents around this house. I doubt any of these kids' parents had a clue where their kids were.

Please, I implore you, if your son/daughter has a cell phone, then by god, call them. Check up on them. My mom would have done it had I had a cell. There is no reason to not know where your kids are. I'm not trying to make these people seem like bad parents, but a little friendly intervention early on might prevent something like this from escalating.

It is a sad and tragic thing that has been done to this 16 year old. Yes. Just 16. We don't know if he'll make it back for the school year or not.

I know I didn't say it at the time, but I am so appreciative of my mother being "in" my life. Please, please, "be" in your kid's life. Even if it annoys them. Better to annoy than to flat-out alienate or ignore completely. Let's try and let our kids be kids as long as they can, so they do not have to deal with so many things like these.

There were probably about 15-20 kids who witnessed this attack. They were all very visibly shaken; some didn't even come today, and I'm sure our principal will excuse those absences.

So for those who think I have no sense of humor, think real hard before you ask me that question again. There are a lot of reasons why I might lose my sense of humor, and this is just one.

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Still corrupting young minds

Oh my God bandnerd! wow, that is a horrible, horrible story. How is he today?

I agree with you 110%! My son gets so pissed off at me.. I don't care... I'm involved whether he likes it or not. Yes, I'll knock on your door and no, I won't listen in on your phone calls... but hell yes, will I know the parents of who you are hanging out with, and no, you won't go anywhere without me knowing where, who and when you'll be home.

Granted, he is young - 13 but even when he's 16, I'll be there....

I guess we have to tell our kids in advance, if you move from point A to point B and you don't call me... you are in the biggest trouble of your life.

I can't even imagine how the parents feel today thinking he was safe at a dance to learn that he was almost killed. Best wishes to him...( and you too!)

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" You've Been Thunder Struck ! "

I think he's getting out of the hospital either today or tomorrow. He'll be okay, but he will be changed forever, physically and emotionally, I'm sure.

Glad to hear you're keeping up with your child! So nice to see a parent actually "parent."

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Still corrupting young minds

i know my folks' would've checked up on me like that had i grown up in the cell phone age. i know i would've hated it, too... but i'm thankful now that they always kept tabs on me. i'll probably do it when i have kids, too... and they'll probably hate it till they understand.

so the 'kids' that perpetrated this... they were apprehended, right? -M

I have no idea. I know what the rumor is, about which school the kids are from, and that they are definitely kids. Whether or not they have been apprehended, I do not know.

I do know what I hope they get. And I'm probably a bad person for that, because I'm sure the kid from my school wasn't a saint, but it does not in any way excuse this type of brutality. Anyone who can do that to someone, as a minor or adult, should get full punishment.

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Still corrupting young minds

amen to that... exactly why i put the word 'kids' in quotes. saint or not, nobody deserves getting beaten within an inch of his life like that. -M