'Dad Did Not Want Us to Call Ambulance,' New Brunswick Superintendent Says of Fight

New Brunswick, NJ - New Brunswick schools superintendent Aubrey Johnson released a new statement Tuesday, addressing what he calls "misinformation" about the violent beating that occurred Thursday in the hallways of New Brunswick High School.

As Patch previously reported, a 16-year-old teen repeatedly punched and kicked a freshman, 15, in a fight believed to be over a girl. The vicious beat-down was captured on video and can be seen here.

The parents of the victim, a freshman, criticized the school for not calling an ambulance and even called for a protest to address how the school handled the incident.

But on Tuesday, Johnson said the school offered to call an ambulance for the teen, but the boy's father refused.

"The father of the student who'd been assaulted was contacted by the school nurse and arrived at the school within 15 minutes," Johnson said. "When asked if he wished to have an ambulance called for his son, the father declined — per the preliminary police report on the incident — indicating that he would transport his son to the hospital."

Johnson said there has been some "misinformation" circulating about the March 10 incident.

"Based on our own security video footage, we know that the altercation in question lasted a total of 21 seconds, at which point district security personnel separated the students," he said. "One minute after the altercation, the student who'd been assaulted was receiving on-the-spot attention from an administrator and several security officers."

"Six minutes after the altercation, the student who'd been assaulted was in the nurse's office for evaluation," he added.

During the current school year, two formal harassment, intimidation, and bullying reports have been filed at New Brunswick High School, with a total of 40 reports filed district wide, Johnson said.

"We take every possible precaution to ensure the safety of all our students, and understand that we are guiding young people who manage a range of conflicts," he said.

Johnson said New Brunswick High School held a meeting with students on Monday to discuss fighting.