Mom claims Columbus City Schools sided with student who assaulted her son & broke his jaw

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A Columbus mom said she's forced to look into homeschooling after an assault at her son's new high school left him with a broken jaw just weeks into the school year.

"I thought it was sick. Why?" asked April Henson about the attack on her son, Alex. Police confirm the attack was recorded and posted to social media last month.

"Why? Why would a kid do that? Because they thought it was funny? It's not funny," Henson said.

Alex Henson, 14, started his freshman year at Linden-McKinley High School. Since school started, he said he had been teased by a 16-year-old in several of his classes. Last month, Henson said he flicked a pencil accidentally which hit the upperclassman. Later that day, Henson is seen on video walking down the school hallway with his cousin. The upperclassman is seen approaching him from behind and punching him in the face.

The story posted to Instagram was shared and sent to April Henson. She showed it to Scoring Our Schools. The video clip begins with a picture of Alex sitting in a classroom with the caption, "Its bout tht time white boy. Video coming soon." The video ends with the attack.

"I just went out," Alex Henson told Scoring Our Schools. "I don't remember anything until we got to the second floor."

The freshman said his cousin, who was walking with him, helped him get to his father who was picking him up from school. Father and son went home where April saw her son lying in the backseat.

"I was like, 'Alex, are you okay?' He was like, 'Mom, I can barely talk. It hurts,'" April said.

The family rushed to the emergency room where they discovered Alex's jaw was fractured in two spots. His mouth had to be wired shut.

The next day, April Henson went to Linden-McKinley High School to talk to the principal. She said she was told her son's attacker and his friend who shot the video would be expelled. However, sources told Scoring Our Schools that the student who attacked Alex received a ten-day suspension. Columbus City Schools also confirmed that the 16-year-old student is back in class. April Henson filed a police report. Detectives sought assault charges in juvenile court and police told Scoring Our Schools that the suspect was arrested inside Linden-McKinley High School earlier this month on a criminal warrant.

"I thought they weren't going to be in the school anymore," April Henson said.

Scoring Our Schools obtained district policy for the removal, suspension and expulsion of students. Under "violent conduct" which is defined by an act that would be a criminal offense if committed by an adult and results in serious physical harm, the superintendent may expel a student for one year. However, a school principal can suspend a student for no more than ten days on any violation of the student code of conduct.

Scoring Our Schools asked Columbus City Schools why it opted for a ten-day suspension over a one-year expulsion for an attack that resulted in a broken jaw of one of its students. CCS responded with, "We do not comment on student discipline."

Now in the juvenile court system, the student suspect could be locked up in the Department of Youth Services if found guilty. If he were two years older, the suspect could have faced up to eight years in prison in adult court for the same crime.