Mother upset son beaten without administrators stopping it - ABC 33/40 - Birmingham News, Weather, Sports

Mother upset son beaten without administrators stopping it

     Verger Thomas says she became outraged after seeing for herself how her 15 year old son, Devyn Sterling was  beaten at Akron Community school without supervision.

      "Blood was all over my face from where he kicked me so much," said Devyn.

      The video surfaced last month shortly after the January 17th incident.

      Devyn says the offending student had been picking on him earlier that day.  When they left class that's when he says he was attacked off guard from behind.

      The 11-second clip shows the larger student beating Devyn Merciless in the head with students standing around appearing to cheer it on.  Another student was capturing the scene on a cell phone.

      Devyn's mother says she's upset because she doesn't see any teachers or administrators in the video coming to her son's rescue.  "One student told a teacher, someone is fighting outside your classroom. But,that teacher did nothing," said Thomas.

      However, Hale County School Superintendent Osie Pickens told ABC 33/40 by phone that their investigation revealed a slightly different story.  "Teachers did ultimately intervene."  But she admits it only happened after another student pulled the bigger student off Devyn who says he had passed out but was repeatedly kicked while unconscious. "The teachers took over at that point."

      Pickens blamed the lack of immediate supervision on a substitute teacher in the class Devyn had just left from, "We have policy that the teachers are suppose to stand outside of their doors as the students exchange classes," Pickens stated.  "That was not followed."

      She assured the school which is K through 12 is a safe environment .  Pickens said she couldn't be specific but stated the offending student had been "properly disciplined."

      It's not enough for Devyn's mother.  They have filed assault charges on the student who is scheduled to appear in juvenile court.

      "I don't want this student to come back to Akron [school] knowing he could hurt Devyn."