Update:

First and foremost, thank you! Thank you for signing our petition and for caring enough to stand alongside us in our demand for change. I wish we had more positive updates to share, but here is where things currently stand:

Many of you have commented that criminal charges should be pressed against those students who injured our son. Sadly, this is not our decision to make. My husband and I had a meeting with our local District Attorney, Patsy Austin-Gatson, and her team on 9/21/21. For reasons that will never make sense to our broken parental hearts, the DA’s office is only pressing charges against the one individual who “used excessive force”. That individual is being charged with aggravated battery, and we are currently awaiting a trial. Unfortunately, the DA and her team do not share our concern that the event appears to be premeditated, and sadly there is no legal recourse we can personally take against those who laughed, applauded and posted the attack online, as such horrid behavior is not considered a "crime". 

Our conversations with the schools continue to be a sea of red tape. We had a meeting with the Executive Director of Gwinnett County School on 9/2/21. Gwinnett County School District continues to maintain that “their hands are tied” since the incident did not occur on school grounds or during a school event. Even more disappointing, Buford City High School refuses to even communicate what - if any- consequences have been applied to their 2 students who were involved in the assault.

We have suggested to both the DA’s office and to the Gwinnett County School District that at the very least, those who participated in the applauding and cheering of our son’s assault issue an apology to our son. To date, those students and their families have not come forward with any expression of regret for what my son endured.

It is heartbreaking to resign to the idea that our son may never receive the full justice we are so desperately in need of. The only way we know to process this grief is to continue to push for change on a larger scale.

I am scheduled to speak in front of our local school board on 10/21, though I am limited to only 3 minutes. I will do my very best to make a plea for their scholastic Code of Conduct to protect victims of abhorrent behavior whether on school grounds or off.

We have also reached out to our local Congresswoman Carolyn Bourdeaux, as well as our 2 state Senators, Rapheal Warnok and Jon Ossoff. To date, I have not heard back from any of them, despite numerous calls and emails. We will keep calling. Squeaky wheel gets the grease, right?!

SO…. How can you help? In order for any real change to occur, we need congressional support. If you’re so inclined, please share this petition with your local representatives.

As we have learned, there is a dangerous and glaring gap between where a school’s code of conduct ends and where legal intervention can begin. A quick perusal through the comments on this petition shows exactly how many students have been or are currently victimized without any repercussions for their aggressors. Our story, sadly, is just one of thousands.

Students deserve to feel safe. It’s time to demand accountability.

Thank you for your continued support!

PS: Your prayers have been received and we are so very thrilled to say that Nick is healing wonderfully. His wires came off mid-September, and he is back to eating most foods (minus anything crunchy or hard). His surgeon is thrilled with the speed of his recovery. We thank God for the veil of prayers that has covered us. You ALL have helped heal our broken hearts in so many ways, and we will forever be grateful.