Three Students Suspended, Victim Transferred To Omni By School District After Eagles Landing Bullying
BY: ANDREW COLTON | Editor & Publisher
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) — The parents of the boy assaulted and attacked — on camera — at Omni Middle School are speaking out exclusively to BocaNewsNow.com.
“The school knew this was happening,” said the boy’s father, area physician Dr. David Kateb. “They let this happen and they know what was going on. The only reason (Principal Nikkia Deluz) issued a statement (through a robocall) is because the video came out.”
Dr. Kateb says his son has been bullied for months and that the school has refused to take action. He says no one from Omni Middle would return calls from him or his wife all day Friday once the video was made public.
The video does not show the origin of the fight or who was responsible.
All three children have been suspended from Omni. Lisa Kateb, the victim’s mother, says her son has been suspended for three days. She says rumors circulating that her son started the fight are nothing more than spin.
“The boys were bullying him from early in the morning.”
Mrs. Kateb says her son does have a 504 plan in effect and questions why school staffers were not doing a better job ensuring that he is in a safe environment. The child, a seventh grader, was enrolled at Eagles Landing Middle School, but also faced bullying there. District officials, according to Mrs. Kateb, believed that he would be safer at Omni and arranged a transfer. The family’s home is zoned for Eagles Landing.
“The school district knew he was vulnerable,” said Mrs. Kateb.
Principal Nikkia Deluz, according to Dr. Kateb, finally took a call from him late Friday, but stated that any conversation “must take place on speakerphone.”
The Kateb’s declined. Dr. Kateb said Principal Deluz then hung up the phone.
“It is outrageous,” said Dr. Kateb. “If someone makes their hand look like a gun, they get kicked out of school. But two children attack and pummel my son and that’s okay.”
Citing confidentiality, a Palm Beach County School District representative would only say matter is being handled.
“My son is supposed to get more time for (education),” said Mrs. Kateb. “The school should have protected him. He is hurt not just that he wasn’t helped, but that people stood around and watched and videotaped instead of calling for help.”
Dr. Kateb provided BocaNewsNow.com with images of his son’s injuries. He says he is speaking with legal counsel.
Omni Middle School’s Assistant principal, according to Dr. Kateb, said the earliest anyone could meet with him is Tuesday — five days after the fight.
…Developing…
UPDATE SUNDAY, FEB. 2, 2020: NEW VIDEO OBTAINED BY BOCANEWSNOW.COM. CLICK HERE.
