Every single teenager in the Santa Clarita Valley took his or her anger and frustration to Twitter on April 21st, the day a special needs student was assaulted at West Ranch High School. This brawl shocked the whole school, the whole Santa Clarita Valley, and even the state.
Although the purpose of the fight remains unknown, on the day of the fight, the assaulter and the victim began arguing, and soon, punches began flying. In the photos and videos of the event, some students can be seen in the background filming, while others can be seen laughing. But none of them attempted to intervene between the two students.
The video quickly became viral on social media, and people began writing lengthy paragraphs expressing concern for the victim. Many created hashtags, such as: #justicefor(victim’s name). Students at West Ranch High School also came together for the greater good by wearing black the next day, in support of the special needs student. When school started the day after the fight, students had surrounded the entire school, in an attempt to show support for the victim, and defended him from the assaulter. Although lowerclassmen and upperclassmen generally do not mingle, the event united the entire student body of WRHS.
West Ranch students have stated that this protest was not only for the victim, but also for anyone else who may be experiencing the same problem.
West Ranch freshman Jay Kim said, “This event showed us that violence is never the answer for any of our problems. It was certainly amazing seeing the school come together to support (victim’s name).”
“No student deserves to be beaten up, regardless of the type of education they are currently receiving,”said West Ranch Sophomore Scott Kim.
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the instigator of the fight has been arrested.
This tragic occurrence reminds us that violence is never a proper solution to any problem.
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