The Plano, Texas boy was invited by someone he considered a friend to a sleepover without telling him that his bullies were going to be present.
Trigger warning: The story contains details and footage of child abuse and bullying that might be distressing to some readers.
A teen was looking forward to spending a sleepover with classmates he thought were his friends, but instead, the 13-year-old had one of the most harrowing nights that no child should ever face. SeMarion Humphrey from Plano, Texas is an 8th grader from Haggard Middle School who was invited to a sleepover on the February 12 weekend. But he had no knowledge that the boys who had bullied him previously would also be there.
The 13-year-old's attorney, Kim T Cole, said that the incident was "pre-calculated" and "racially motivated." He also added that the boy was called racist and homophobic slurs. He was also forced to drink a substance that looked like urine, and making the ordeal worse for the teen, he was shot with BB guns. "To call it bullying minimizes the gravity and the horror of this attack," Kim said, according to CNN.
#SemarionHumphrey#JusticeForSemarion#JusticeForSemarionHumphrey
— earthisdone (@alfredborden98) March 5, 2021
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PLANO ISD PLANO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT 469-752-8100
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Haggard Middle school
Linda Washington Principal
469-752-5400
Linda.Washington@pisd.edu
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Humphrey's mother Summer Smith revealed that a fellow student befriended SeMarion and invited him for the sleepover. She added that her son had no idea who was going to be present at the sleepover. He was reportedly harassed when he was previously part of the football team, and the teen ended up quitting the team during the 2019-2020 season.
According to Smith, he reported the alleged harassment to the coach and a school counselor, however, she believes that school officials brushed it off as "boys will be boys." The 13-year-old still attends classes with the members of the football team who continue to harass him even though he left the team, said both Smith and Cole.
A GoFundMe page set up to help SeMarion get justice reads, "A couple of weeks ago SeMarion was ecstatic when a former teammate invited him to a sleepover. But little did he know what had been planned for him. While at the sleepover several white students shot SeMarion with BB guns. When he was asleep they slapped him, all while calling him racial slurs. And worse yet, they forced SeMarion to drink their urine."
(Trigger warning: Disturbing video, view at your discretion)
"SeMarion has been subjected to the unthinkable. He is in need of therapy and is planning to change to a private school," the page reads.
People have lent support to SeMarion and his family during this trying time. The video of the incident shows that the boy was made to drink a liquid that was yellowish-brown in color. Laughs and giggles can be heard in the background. The boy was also called the N-word apart from other racial slurs.
@MindShiftKQED When schools become safe havens for bigoted attacks and bullying, #remote-learning gives respite until reform. Authorities investigating allegations of racism and bullying of a 13-year-old by his classmates during sleepover - CNN https://t.co/OEERoii4ch
— Samantha Udondem, MPH (@SamanthaAdjoa) March 10, 2021
The 13-year-old had previously been scared to divulge any information about the incident as the boys had threatened him, says his attorney. However, when he went to school the next time on February 22, after a long time off due to the snowstorm, he was asked if he actually drank the liquid. The 13-year-old said that he didn't remember what happened as he was on sleep aid medication for his anxiety. However, a classmate decided to remind him of his trauma by showing him a video, which was being shared around the school as well.
The incident has garnered the attention of local police and school officials, who are now investigating the matter, according to People. "How horrible must you be," Smith said at a news conference, reports CBS DFW. "This is not a prank. This is beyond bullying. You are evil, they are evil," she added.
"I believe it's important that we shine a spotlight on this type of abhorrent behavior because the resulting dialogue is how we can work together to end bullying and racial abuse in our school and certainly in our community," Plano Mayor Harry LaRosiliere said, as per People.
References:
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/03/10/us/texas-racism-bullying-sleepover/index.html
Cover image source: Getty Images | Photo by kate_sept2004 (Representational image)
