Katy ISD launches investigation after video surfaces of girl attacked on school bus

The Katy Independent School District is investigating the alleged assault and “bullying” of a 15-year-old student after the girl’s mother said the girl was beaten on a school bus by another student. The Katy Independent School District is investigating the alleged assault and “bullying” of a 15-year-old student after the girl’s mother said the girl was beaten on a school bus by another student. Photo: Courtesy Photo: Courtesy Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Katy ISD launches investigation after video surfaces of girl attacked on school bus 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

The Katy ISD is investigating the alleged assault and “bullying” of a 15-year-old student after the girl’s mother said the teen was beaten on a school bus by another student -- an attack that was captured on video.

A district spokeswoman confirmed Thursday that school officials had opened two separate investigations – of assault and bullying – into the Oct. 18 incident on a school bus leaving Katy High School.

The woman said her daughter, whose name is being withheld because she is a minor, was riding the bus listening to music on a mobile device when another girl attacked her after a verbal confrontation. The attack caused bruising and swelling and required a visit to the emergency room for treatment, the mother said.

The beating was captured by a student’s cell phone camera and posted to a Facebook page, where it was the subject of dozens of comments and reactions. One student can be seen swinging rapidly and striking another girl in her seat toward the back of the bus.

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The mother, who doesn’t speak English and spoke to a Chronicle reporter in Spanish, said she brought the incident to the attention of the school’s assistant principal, Brandon Knapp, and the Katy ISD and eventually it reached the Harris County District Attorney’s office, where prosecutors declined to press charges.

Michael Kolenc, a spokesman for the district attorney’s office, said the DA does not generally comment on cases involving juveniles and declined to comment further.

The school district issued a statement stating that the “administration and police immediately investigated and administered disciplinary consequences pertaining to that report.”

“Any behaviors that may threaten the safety of any child are not tolerated,” the district said in its statement. “As such, students determined to be involved in such activity face swift disciplinary consequences in accordance with the Katy ISD Discipline Management, Student Code of Conduct and law enforcement.”

The accused attacker was removed from campus pending the outcome of the bullying investigation, the spokeswoman said.

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The woman said her daughter fears for her safety should the attacker return to Katy High School. She said she may consider leaving the apartment complex where she lives so that her daughter can attend another campus.

District officials were speaking with other students at the high school as part of their investigation into the alleged bullying, the spokeswoman said.

In August, the district rolled out a new anti-bullying app for students and staffers after the issue became a "topic of great concern" for the district.

The district's former superintendent, Lance Hindt, retired Jan. 1 after he was accused at a board meeting of having bullied a classmate decades earlier when they were both students at area schools. Hindt denied the accusation, but announced his retirement amid concerns about the alleged bullying episode and other questions about his past conduct. The district paid Hindt $750,000, equal to two years of his base pay, upon his retirement.

Michelle Iracheta is a digital reporter in Houston. Read her on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | michelle.iracheta@chron.com