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Teens facing expulsion for beating student with disabilities, mother says

ATLANTA — An Atlanta mother says a group that attacked her daughter, who has a hearing impairment, is facing a more serious punishment after video surfaced of the beating.

Channel 2's Tom Jones spoke to the mother of the Maynard Jackson High School student, who she said was recorded being beaten by a group of students.

In the video, a student coldcocks 18-year-old Jacqueline Flournoy on the school’s campus.

“He just turned around and slapped me, I was like, OK, what just happened?” Flournoy said.

Flournoy said the students, two brothers and a girl recording the video, were bullying her November 30 -- for two reasons.

“They didn't like the relationship I'm in and because I'm hearing impaired,” Flournoy said.

Flournoy said they made vulgar comments about her relationship and her speech.

The attackers were initially suspended for a day and forced to apologize. But when Flournoy's mother saw the video, she immediately complained to school officials.

"That's when I just about lost it," Kimberly Flounoy said.

Jacqueline Flournoy wants to turn this negative into positive and help raise awareness about bullying.

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“It shouldn't be happening. If it is happening you should speak up to somebody,” Jaqueline Flournoy said.

She said people have to learn to treat others with respect.

“I don't want nobody to go through what I'm going through,” Jacqueline Flournoy said.

Kimberly Flournoy said the two brothers will have a tribunal Wednesday where they could be removed from the school for a year or one semester.

She said the girl who recorded it could face cyber-bullying discipline.

On Thursday, Atlanta Public Schools released the following statement:

"Atlanta Public Schools does not condone any form of bullying or harassment in our district. When allegations of a bullying incident were made at Maynard Jackson High School, school officials responded quickly to address the situation through the district's discipline process. Atlanta Public Schools takes the safety and security of our students very seriously. APS is a No Place For Hate® district and works diligently to foster school cultures that emphasize safe, respectful, bullying-free learning environments."