High school student beaten in attack allegedly arranged by classmate

The parents of a Todd Beamer High School student told KIRO 7 they knew their daughter was in danger, so they repeatedly raised those concerns with the Federal Way School District.

Their 16-year old was later attacked by two girls she didn’t even know, on-campus, in an assault that was recorded on cellphone video.

Daisy Muneton said the trouble started when she told officials at Beamer about an online threat she received weeks ago.

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“She threatened me and said, ‘you want me to beat you up? Let’s go.’”  Muneton, a sophomore, said the girl who sent it was suspended but that didn’t stop the harassment.

“After the suspension, she still wanted to get back at me because that day she got suspended she posted that she wanted to get revenge.”

That revenge, Muneton told KIRO 7, was a beating arranged and recorded by her classmates on cellphone.

According to a police report, two of Daisy's schoolmates met two students from Federal Way High School at the door to Beamer May 4^, then led the outsiders to Daisy, where they beat her, causing a concussion and other injuries.

Muneton’s father told KIRO 7, the attack is exactly what he and his wife warned the school would happen – in emails and conversations – for weeks.

"But after we tell them and show them the emails of the threats, and the Snapchat and the harassment and the stalking, they just won't take it seriously," Andres Muneton said.

The girl’s mother said she was even given assurances her daughter would be safe.  “The school told me, nothing’s going to happen to your daughter, as long as she’s in school, nothing’s going to happen,” Gloria Muneton said she was told by Beamer’s Silver Academy principal, Aaron Bellessa.

“The staff knows, teachers know, everybody is keeping an eye on her,” she said Bellessa told her.

Yet the 16-year-old Muneton was allegedly beaten on campus by people she didn’t even know.

Now the family has hired lawyer Richard Wooster of Tacoma, who believes the assault could have been prevented. 

“If the district had heeded the concerns that were brought by Daisy’s parents and had responded to the threats to Daisy’s physical safety, this may have been headed off,” Wooster said.  But the district and school officials “just sat and waited,” Wooster said.

When asked if any students faced disciplinary action after the recorded attack, Federal Way Public Schools Spokesperson Kassie Swenson declined to comment, citing privacy laws, but the district is conducting its own investigation.

Meanwhile, Daisy Muneton said she’s still in class with the students who allegedly plotted her attack.

Cathy Schrock of the Federal Way Police Department told KIRO 7 the investigation concluded with no arrests.

Dan Donohoe with the King County Prosecutor’s Office said no criminal charges were filed and that the case was likely sent to juvenile diversion.

The district released the following statement:

"The District is committed to a safe and civil educational environment for all students.  All students deserve a safe and supportive environment in which to learn.  With respect to your questions below, the District has obtained outside legal counsel under whose supervision an investigation is being conducted."

"Insofar as your questions relating to student discipline, due to privacy concerns and federal law, FERPA, the District is not at liberty to comment on the discipline of any student.  Similarly, and also due to privacy laws and FERPA, the District is not at liberty to answer questions regarding the specific student DM that you have named in your questions below."

"What we can ensure and is of extreme importance to the District is that as soon we were made aware of this concern, the District responded accordingly.  We take all reports very seriously.   In general, it is the District's practice to develop safety plans where circumstances so warrant. Unfortunately we are unable to be more specific for the reasons stated above."

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