ATLANTA — The 17-year-old student with special needs who was stabbed inside North Atlanta High School is out of the hospital and recovering at home, but his attorney says the teen suffered serious and permanent injuries.
Cellphone video recorded four days ago shows the moment another student stabbed the victim with scissors inside the school. The footage, which circulated widely on social media, captured what the victim’s attorney, Musa Ghanayem, described as a shocking act of violence.
“It shocked the conscience,” Ghanayem told Channel 2’s Michael Seiden. “I couldn’t believe it.”
According to Ghanayem, the teen suffered permanent damage to his thyroid, an injury to his eye and other medical issues that doctors are still evaluating.
Atlanta Public Schools has not publicly identified the accused attacker. A district spokesperson confirmed the student is in jail, charged with aggravated assault and will also face disciplinary action at school.
Ghanayem said he and his legal team have launched an independent investigation and have spoken with several witnesses, including students, who claim they had prior issues with the accused student.
“It appears that this young man has a predisposition for serious violence and they kept him in a school where he could do damage,” Ghanayem said.
Last week, Channel 2 spoke with students off campus who claimed the altercation began after the victim used a racial slur. Ghanayem disputed those claims, saying his client was bullied and manipulated by other students.
“There are students that will go up to him and tell him, ‘Go say this. Go say this,’” Ghanayem said. “He wants to make friends. He wants to be a part of it. Sometimes he doesn’t even know what he’s saying. This has been happening to him for a while and it’s very concerning.”
Ghanayem, a former prosecutor, said he believes the charges against the accused student should be upgraded.
“I believe this is a criminal attempt to commit murder,” he said. “I believe this is an aggravated battery with permanent disfigurement.”
APS addressed the claims made by the injured student’s lawyer in the following statement:
“Atlanta Public Schools has not been contacted by the family’s attorney regarding this isolated incident, but notes that the family’s attorney appears to have inaccurate information. Due to privacy concerns, APS is not at liberty to share details about individual students. The faculty, staff, and administration at North Atlanta High School follow strict protocols and procedures and work tirelessly every day to provide a safe and secure environment for learning and instruction.”
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