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Father of boy beaten at school wants stiffer charges for attacker

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Gwinnett County School Police have charged a Parkview High School student with aggravated battery after a locker room fight Tuesday that left a sophomore student badly injured.
 
David Egan underwent hours of reconstructive surgery to his face and remains at Scottish Rite Hospital.
 
Egan's father is not happy with the fact the student was charged as a juvenile and wants not only stricter charges filed, but more students disciplined as well.
 
"He punched him so hard on the top of his nose, that it actually broke the nose away from the skull," Danny Egan said. "He's got metal plates under the eyes. Obviously under the skin, you can't see it. He's got metal plates and metal wiring. I mean it's a really bad impact."
 
The fight was captured on cellphone video taken by other students who were in the locker room. It occurred Tuesday morning just after a third period weightlifting class. On the video, you can see several students standing around when Egan begins talking to another student. The other student appears upset about something and then punches Egan in the face. Egan stumbles towards some lockers where he is shoved from behind face first into the metal. When he turns around, he is punched and knocked to the ground.
 
"It's an injury that replicates an car accident before they had airbags," Egan said.
 
Egan said it started over a disagreement about tennis shoes. He wants Gwinnett County School Police to charge his son's attacker with a more serious charge, insisting it was a premeditated attack.
 
"When they treat it like a school yard shuffle, you are thinking these are just kids. He didn't throw sand in his eyes, he didn't stab him in the arm with a pencil, he broke his skull, Egan said.
 
School district spokesperson Jorge Quintana sent Channel 2 Action News Bureau Chief Tony Thomas this statement:

"The student is a juvenile. I understand that this offense does not qualify to charge a juvenile as an adult in the state of Georgia. The seven offenses under which a juvenile can be charged as an adult are listed under OCGA 15-11-560.
 
Typically when there is a fight, 911 is not called as adults intervene. Injured students are typically taken to the clinic to receive immediate care from the clinic worker. Parents are then called. The school handled this case well, acting immediately to care for the injured student and to investigate so that appropriate disciplinary and criminal charges could be made."

Egan said his son is in good spirits but in pain. He could be released from the hospital by Saturday.