Both the Black female student who was violently assaulted at Jehue Middle School in Colton, California, and the male Latino student who knocked her unconscious in a viral video last week remain out of school on suspension as more details surrounding the classroom fight—witnessed in full by a substitute teacher—emerge.

      More than 30 pastors and activists from Los Angeles and the Inland Empire have demanded answers from school officials and urged the Colton Police Department to arrest the boy, who was significantly larger than the 14-year-old African American female student.

      The video shows the male Latino student restraining the smaller Black female student, pressing his hand against her head and face while holding her down. He then releases her and pushes her into a table as students shout racial epithets. The girl grabs an object from the table, spins around, and throws it at the boy, who responds by grabbing her and slamming her headfirst into the table. She collapses to the floor, momentarily lying still before another student helps her up.

      Characterizing the boy as the victim, Colton police stated that the widely circulated video only captures one minute and five seconds of the altercation, 

      “The video does not show the incident where the victim was struck in the head multiple times by a metal object,” the Colton Police Department noted in a statement. “Officers responded to the school and conducted a thorough investigation, including statements from the teacher who was present and multiple other witnesses. As a result, both students were issued citations and released to their parents. This incident is still under investigation, and the Colton Police Department is working in collaboration with the Rialto Unified School District. The case will be forwarded to the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office, Juvenile Division, for review.”

      Colton police Sgt. Mike Sandoval identified the metal object as a drinking bottle and confirmed that both students were arrested, cited, and released—the girl for felony assault with a deadly weapon and the boy for misdemeanor battery. Both remain suspended and face possible expulsion.

      Despite the racial epithets heard during the altercation, Sandoval stated that the incident did not appear to be racially motivated and that there was no known history of conflict between the two students. The school’s racial/ethnic demographics are 91% Latino, 4.6% Black, and 1.9% White.

      A spokesperson for the Rialto Unified School District confirmed that swift and decisive action had been taken against the substitute teacher who failed to intervene, and that an investigation into the matter remains ongoing.

      Civil rights leaders are following the family’s lead on the next steps, including a community meeting that will prioritize their concerns, according to Rev. Sam Casey, Founder and Executive Director of Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement.

      “We’re pushing to have all of the charges still pending against both students reversed, and that’s about all we have at this time,” Casey said.

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