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California’s Arvin High School is receiving massive backlash after an alleged bullying incident went viral across social media platforms. A student could be seen getting his head shaved off while others laughed and recorded the incident. The educational institution has since released a statement.
In the now-viral video, the Arvin High School student could be seen getting his head shaved off by other classmates. This led to him having patches of bald spots. The youngster could also be seen wiping his tears away as others cheered on.
In an interview with Turn To 23, the boy’s mother, Flor Santiago, shared that she would like to see the school take action against the bullies and ensure that the children know that bullying will not be tolerated. She said in the interview:
"We want those kids to be punished and to understand that what they did was not right. They cannot continue to hurt others."
The mother also revealed that her son had long hair because he liked it and took care of it.
The youngster’s aunt, Abe Santiago, also shared in the interview that this was not the first time he was being bullied by fellow students. She said:
"The parents should see the type of kids they are raising. Other times they are telling him things and also hitting him in the stomach, apparently conducing him for someone else. But we both know that you can’t just go up to someone and hit them in the stomach and say, 'I was confused of who it was.'"
Netizens react to Arvin High School incident
Internet users were shocked to see what happened at Arvin High School. Many expressed that they found it difficult to watch the bullying video circulating across social media platforms. Netizens urged the school to hold the bullies accountable. Several others also expressed empathy toward the bullied child. A few comments online read:
Arvin High School responds to viral bullying video
In a social media post, the educational institution announced that they were taking action against the students who bullied the youngster. Their official statement read:
"In regards to the recent events at AHS, please know the school has taken and will continue to take action. Due to the ages of those involved, disciplinary actions will and must remain confidential… We do not condone these actions and please know we do educate against bullying."
Erin Briscoe-Clark, the public information officer and communications manager for the high school district, also released a statement announcing that they "do not condone bullying of any kind." The statement also read:
"When student breach the boundaries of acceptable behavior, they will be held accountable for their actions, and the school will provide support to any affected student. The incident is being thoroughly investigated, and appropriate disciplinary actions will be taken."
A GoFundMe fundraiser for the bullied student has also since been created by Samantha Alcala on behalf of Rubi Bahena. The fundraising campaign revealed that they wanted to change the bullied boy’s life. At the time of writing this article, the page had amassed $6,733.
