Video Shows York High School Student Shoved To Bathroom Floor

ELMHURST, IL – Video of Thursday's incident involving an altercation in the York High School restroom is making the rounds online.

Patch has not published the footage because it involves minors. Also, the face of the student who appears to be the victim can be seen.

In a statement to York families, Superintendent Keisha Campbell called the video "deeply disturbing," describing the incident as it "an aggressive physical altercation by a student toward another student with a disability, while a group of bystanders watched and laughed." The student who was the apparent target has a disability, she said.

The incident happened in a boys restroom, with a number of boys present.

The 43-second video begins by showing the student with a disability on the floor. Another boy was on top of him.

Carrying a large backpack, the student with a disability was able to get up. The footage then shows another boy push him down.

The student got up again and went into a stall in an apparent move to protect himself.

The student taking the video filmed some of the reactions of the boys in the restroom. They grinned broadly, laughed and loudly cheered after the student with a disability was pushed to the floor.

It's hard to determine how many boys were in the restroom, given the sudden shifts in the camera. But it appears as if at least eight onlookers were in the video.

Elmhurst School District 205 has not termed the incident an attack. But Campbell called it "an aggressive physical altercation by a student toward another student with a disability."

Campbell said "significant consequences" to the students involved were issued. The district has not revealed the punishments.

The district's spokeswoman, Tonya Daniels, advised Patch to call the Elmhurst Police Department for information. Patch did so Monday, but has not received a response.

On Tuesday night, the school board meets. Most boards, including Elmhurst's, usually avoid discussions of specific incidents involving discipline because of student privacy laws.

But given the high-profile nature of the latest one, it may be difficult for the board to avoid the subject entirely. It may come up during public comments at the meeting.

As of Tuesday morning, more than 6,500 people have signed a Change.org petition spotlighting the incident and calling for discipline.

The petition also demands reform of York's procedures involving restroom supervision.

Students are said to be considering a walkout later this week in support of the student with a disability.

Early Friday morning, Patch asked the Daniels about a reader's report that many of York's restrooms were closed. This was before news of the restroom incident. The reader apparently did not know about what had happened.

In an interview Monday, Daniels did not have an answer to the question about restrooms. Patch filed a public records request on the issue late Friday.