LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville high schoolers and musicians, anti-violence advocates and more showered a local 12-year-old with support on Wednesday after a terrible week.
"Everyone's kind of been in a state of shock, so this is nice," Whitney Davis said.
A video circulating on social media this week showed students on a bus leaving Kammerer Middle School attack a student who was only covering his neck and trying to protect himself. Whitney confirmed her son Kionni was the victim in the video.
"I always taught him turn the other cheek to bullies," Whitney said. "Don't engage with bullies."
The video has since been taken down. Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) said the students in the video will be disciplined according to the student behavior handbook.
Kionni still has deeply visible bruises under his eyes. Whitney was moved to tears when talking about it on Wednesday.
"I didn't know what to do or who to reach out to," she said. "I didn't know how to go about getting help."
Hip Hop N2 Learning, a music education and mentoring program, saw the pain this family was in and brought people together to address the situation.
"We're here for you, we got you, whatever you all need, we got your back," Antonio Taylor said, a former JCPS school bus driver and a leader of Hip Hop N2 Learning.
Taylor said everyone in the JCPS community needs to take a more active role to stop bullying, which includes parents being more observant and talking to their kids at home.
The youth music group The Real Young Prodigys sang Kionni three renditions of "Happy Birthday" as he will turn 13 later this month.
"I guess we wanted him to know that he has somebody with him. Because, in a time like this, you need someone verbally to tell you that we got you," Andrene Flowers said, who's with the Young Prodigys.
When asked how he felt in this moment compared to the past week, Kionni said "it's really amazing to me."
JCPS said the bus driver has been taken off the road during the investigation. A spokesperson also said she did not follow district protocol.
"If a fight begins on a bus, drivers are required to project their voices and tell them to stop. Drivers must make an effort to get the fight to stop and cannot ignore the situation. Drivers are required to pull over in a safe location and contact the compound to report the fight and the compound will call the police, if needed. Drivers are not required to get in the middle of the fight. They have the right to protect themselves by stepping back, never forward," a spokesperson said over email.
Whitney has talked to attorneys and is considering suing the district.
"Everybody's love and support for us is amazing," Kionni said. "It's overwhelming at times, but it feels great to have community that'll stand by you."
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