Virginia school officials respond to middle schooler’s bullying of 5-year-old Asian boy

Aaron Spence, superintendent of the Loudoun County Public Schools in Virginia, issued a statement on Tuesday condemning a now-viral video showing a middle school student harassing a 5-year-old Asian boy with racial slurs.

Catch up: The April 5 incident saw the perpetrator from Eagle Ridge Middle School use ethnic slurs while following the frightened preschooler, who repeatedly pleaded “Don’t hurt me!” as he ran to his home’s door. At one point, the younger child is seen covering his face with a blanket while other kids laugh in the background. The victim’s parents, Ashley Long and Sean Yang, who immigrated from China, previously shared that their son appeared confused by the slurs, having never heard of them before. The video was reportedly shared in a student chat group before another parent discovered it and alerted the family.

What school officials are saying: In his open letter Tuesday, Spence stressed that “hate speech and racial slurs have no place in our schools or in our community” and encouraged families to “teach our children to see their classmates and their neighbors not as ‘others,’ but as fellow human beings deserving of compassion and respect.” He also shared steps the school district is taking to address the situation, including offering mental health support to the victim  and his family and resources to the school through its Division of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility. The middle schooler, on the other hand, is expected to undergo “restorative practices.”

The incident has been reported to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office. The Rebel Yellow has reached out to Long’s legal team for updates.

A 2021 survey by Act To Change, Admerasia and NextShark found that 80% of Asian Americans have experienced bullying, either in-person or online, while only 38% of Asian American youth report bullying to adults, compared to 63% of their non-Asian peers. Resources are available here.