A young mother said she and her 9-year-old son were beaten by a group of children and teens while walking Monday on Chicago’s Far South Side, just blocks away from a Chicago Public School.
According to police, the 33-year-old woman and her 9-year-old son were walking just after 3 p.m. in the 10600 block of South Bensley Avenue when “a group of offenders approached and struck the victims multiple times.”
Both the mom and son were taken to an area hospital, where they were initially listed in “serious condition.”
Corshawnda Hatter said the situation stemmed from bullying at Chicago’s Orville Bright Elementary School in the South Deering neighborhood.
“I can’t sleep because I wake up in the middle of the night with that vision in my head of my son calling my name to help him and I couldn’t do nothing for him. That really hurt me the most,” she said while speaking outside the school Tuesday morning.
In a post on social media, Hatter wrote that she was with both her son and her daughter at the time of the attack.
“No mother should be that helpless and be targeted by children inside of her own community,” State Sen. Willie Preston said.
Both Preston and Hatter have called for a meeting with school administrators following the incident.
In a statement, CPS said it “prioritizes the safety and well being of our students, staff, and families, and we are committed to building a physically and emotionally safe teaching and learning environment in every school.”
“We are horrified by the attack on this family, and we are working collaboratively with City departments and agencies to provide support to the victims of the attack. CPS is coordinating closely with the Mayor’s Office, CPD, CHA, and other City departments to provide additional support to the family,” the statement read. “School administrators, teachers, and support staff work with students to create an open environment where conflicts and grievances can be addressed. School leaders work with parents and all parties involved to find a resolution, adhering to the Student Code of Conduct (SCC) as they address any confirmed violations. In addition, it is always our goal for all members of our school communities, including staff, students, and parents, to work together proactively to maintain a safe and calm environment at our schools.”
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said he was “deeply disturbed” after seeing video of the incident.
“That type of behavior is unacceptable in our city and we must not normalize that type of senseless violence,” he said in a statement. “Leaders from my office have been on the ground all day to coordinate with CPS, CPD, and CHA to respond to this incident. CPD has deployed additional resources to the area to maintain public safety, and we are working with CHA on additional measures to support the family. We have also activated support from community-based organizations that focus on youth services and violence prevention to provide safe passage for students and families at this school. I will continue to monitor this situation closely as I get updates from the ground and as the investigation unfolds. It is critical that we provide the necessary resources to our public education system so that every school community has counselors and mental health professionals. We must redouble our efforts to teach our young people that violence is never an acceptable response. Our students and families should always feel safe on their way to and from school and we must make the critical investments necessary to make that a reality in every part of our city. I’m grateful for the community residents who have rallied to support the family and I am calling for calm as we conduct a full investigation and ensure there is accountability for the attackers and healing for the victims.”
Parents and supporters gathered at the school in support of the family Tuesday morning.
“The action that needs to be taken: the parents needs to be held accountable,” said Shanice Davis, who attended the rally. “Charges should be pressed and these kids should be expelled from school.”
Chicago police said the incident remained under investigation Tuesday.
Want more insights? Join Working Title - our career elevating newsletter and get the future of work delivered weekly.
