Bellingham High student attacked for being transgender

Bellingham, Wash. — Bellingham Police are investigating an attack that happened a few blocks away from Bellingham High. On October 22nd, a student was attacked by a group of teens in the early afternoon - and police say the teens were yelling anti-trans phrases as they were attacking them.

“They were screaming kill the tranny and kill the ****** while he was being beat and… I’m just lucky he’s alive,” Alyssa Ruben, the teen’s mother, said.

Ruben says her transgender son suffered serious injuries from major scrapes on their face, to road rash all over their body. She says her child has been having headaches ever since the attack and even had to quit band and theatre because of it.

“They believe they have a TBI. So, we are looking at possible traumatic brain injury that we are going to have to deal with for potentially life,” Ruben said.

“I don’t know how you heal from something like this at the age of 16,” Ruben said.

KIRO 7 caught up with Bellingham Police Chief Rebecca Mertzig about hate crime investigations. She says hate crimes can range from property damage to threats and even assaults.

“Hate has no place in Bellingham. It doesn’t represent our city, our values as a city,” Chief Mertzig said.

Bellingham Public Schools posted this statement online about the attack:

Bellingham Public Schools is aware of an off-campus assault that happened on Oct. 22. Upon being made aware, the school took immediate steps to secure medical assistance and called the police, who arrived soon thereafter.

We refer our community to law enforcement for any information they may have regarding the incident.

We continue our school-based investigation and continue to cooperate with the law enforcement investigation. The identity of the other individuals involved was originally unclear to school officials. As we have learned identities through our investigation, we have shared that information with police. Witnesses have stepped forward, and we continue to share additional info with police.

We are following our district policy and procedures regarding next steps for any involved individuals who are district students. We are unable to provide further details due to federal student confidentiality laws.

There has been an assumption that the alleged assailant is currently attending Bellingham High. This is not accurate.

Our staff were and continue to be very concerned about what happened to a student off-campus, especially given the alleged discriminatory motive behind the assault. No student deserves to be harmed or injured. We take seriously any acts of violence or threats to safety. We are committed to providing support, compassion and safe schools for all students.

We aren’t able to share specific information about any students, to honor their privacy and to comply with privacy law, but here are some steps we typically take to support our students who express concerns about safety and harassment: check in with them in person regularly, ask them what support they need and prefer, partner with their family to provide resources and support, and follow our district policies and procedures regarding safety and discrimination. For students who identify as LGBTQIA+, we also follow their lead to honor their privacy regarding their identity and their safety.

Students, parents or community members who have information, tips, or concerns regarding a safety issue connected to our schools are encouraged to text or call 844-310-9560 or visit bellinghamschools.org/safe for confidential, anonymous, two-way communication with our safety staff.

Bellingham Public Schools is committed to providing an educational environment that is free from sex discrimination, sex-based harassment and retaliation for engaging in any protected activity as required by federal and state laws for all students. We work hard every day to protect our students, including those who identify as LGBTQ+, and refer to our Title IX processes.

Principal Martin Atkins sent the following message to families on November 4th:

Dear Bellingham High School Community,

We are deeply committed to ensuring that every student in our school is cared for, respected, and protected. Recently, there was an incident off campus that has impacted our school. There was a physical altercation affecting one of our students. Our student returned to campus, and we immediately provided care and support while contacting the student’s parents and the police. Recent reports regarding this incident have raised significant concerns within our community. While we cannot comment on specific details due to ongoing investigations and privacy considerations, we want to assure you that we take any allegations of violence and hate-motivated behavior very seriously. Our mission is to provide a safe and inclusive environment where all students can thrive, and we are actively working with law enforcement to address this situation comprehensively.

At Bellingham Public Schools, we believe in the inherent worth and dignity of every student. We are dedicated to fostering an environment free from bias and hate, where every student feels safe and valued. Incidents of hate speech and behavior are not only unacceptable but also have lasting and harmful impacts on our community. We are committed to healing and educating to strengthen and diversify our next generation of leaders. Our policies reflect this commitment, and we will continue to implement measures that promote respect, understanding, and safety for all students.

Together, we will continue to uphold our values and work toward a school environment where every student can safely achieve their full potential.

Sincerely,

Martin Atkins, Principal

Ruben says the district isn’t telling the whole truth. She says when she got to the school to check on her child, the staff never called the police until she insisted on it, and that the students within the district that did this haven’t been punished.

“I believe with all of my heart that if I had not insisted that they called the police, that they were not going to call the police,” Ruben said.

KIRO 7 also spoke with the Rainbow Youth Project, a group that helps LGBTQIA+ youth. Executive Director Lance Preston says these kinds of horrific attacks happen all over the country, adding that ever since election night, their group has been flooded with thousands of calls from LGBTQIA+ youth worried for their own safety.

“But I can’t say that I was surprised because we’ve seen an uptick in assaults like this all across the country,” Preston said.

Preston says they are having conversations with Bellingham Public Schools about the attack and how staff and the district could’ve addressed it differently.

“We need to understand that no child can focus on their education when they are scared and in an unsafe learning environment,” Preston said.

Bellingham PD is still investigating and no arrests have been made.

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