Teen Bullied, Says Attackers Called Him 'Devil Worshiper' and Videotaped Beating
A 13-year-old boy will miss the last day of school after a vicious attack by four bullies who filmed themselves punching and kicking him. Anthony Avila suffered a concussion and other injuries after the brutal beating and refuses to return to school for his final day.
"I thought I'd go to school and it would be a warm welcome, they'd show me around, but it was just the opposite," Avila told ABC.
He transferred to Joliet's Gompers junior high five months ago and almost immediately became a target of bullies. Apparently things got so bad that Avila was threatened and while walking home, was surrounded by four boys who had been leaders in bullying him. The fight lasted only a few minutes, but one of the bullies filmed the attack and posted it online for everyone to see. That only led to more bullying and online taunts.
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"They want everybody to know that I got bullies, that they're the bullies," Avila said. "People would call me names: the devil worshiper. I'd never talk to anyone because I was shy."
Ever since the fight, which occurred on Monday, June 9, Avila has remained at home. He is recovering from injuries and does not feel safe at school. The bullies have been suspended but Avila knows they will return. Joliet police are investigating the incident, which could bring about some form of resolution. Until then, though, Avila is willing to miss the last week of school in order to feel safe.
"It's not right for them to do what they did to me and just get suspended and be back to school later on. They should know it's not right," he said.
Avila and his mother, Sandy Ayala, are speaking publicly in order to bring change to the school and hopefully alert others to the problem of bullying.
"They should be embarrassed," Ayala said of the young men who bullied her son. "Their parents should be embarrassed. I want to make sure people know that they have a voice and can use it. This is not acceptable. This should not have happened."
