News

Actions

Smyrna father speaks out after son was assaulted at school

Father speaks out after son was assaulted at school
Posted
and last updated

SMYRNA, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Smyrna father says his teenage son endured a brutal assault at school — an assault so bad, his father says he just awoke from a two-day coma.

David Botrous said it happened to his ninth grader, Kevin on Friday.

"I don't want someone else here to have the same situation, I want everyone to teach their son right, to not hurt anybody," Botrous said.

While Rutherford County Schools and the Sheriff's Office aren't releasing the names of the people involved, they did say the assault happened at Stewarts Creek High School on Friday.

David said it's unclear why any of this started. But he says another student grabbed Kevin from his backpack, and slammed him into a vending machine, even continuing to beat his son after he was unconscious.

"When I saw my son, I thought I lost my son, that this was the last time," Botrous said. "You see your son in a safe place, then you see him coming from an emergency and you cannot do anything."

The Rutherford County Sheriff's Office says school resource officers charged a 16-year-old with aggravated assault as a result and took him to the Juvenile Detention Center for booking.

But Botrous said what makes him the most upset is that as the beating continued, he said other students just stood and watched.

"If you cannot protect the other kids, just go to anybody, tell them there's something happening here," Botrous said.

Kevin was awake and doing better Monday, but David says he says he wants others to hear his story, and see what happened.