The family of the young boy seen in a viral video being beaten up at Benton Harbor’s International Academy at Hull elementary school is speaking out. The video has been removed from Facebook since being posted up late last week. Carmesha Ellis is the child’s mother.
“Ask your kids what’s going on every day,” Ellis said. “Ask them how was school, and ask them even about the teacher, because you never know. With my son, it was way different, it could have went way different. Just be aware, because I see I wasn’t and now I am and I need to put a stop to it ASAP.”
The student has been pulled out of Benton Harbor schools. Dontavious Tyler is the boy’s father and echoed Ellis’ advice to other parents.
“Pay attention to your kids and listen to them,” he said. “They’re not lying. These teachers ain’t the best around here.”
Pastor Carlton Lynch of Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church has met with Benton Harbor Area Schools superintendent Andrae Townsel along with the child’s parents.
“I think the heartbreaking (thing) of the whole video is that he falls on a desk and children around him begin to say ‘We killed him. He’s dead,’” said Lynch. He added even though the video has been removed from Facebook, enough people have seen it and police have it.
“There’s still enough in the video that all of us have seen to really call for questioning and for an immediate arrest of the teacher, Dorothy Neeley,” added Lynch.
Neeley has resigned from the district after being put on administrative leave by Townsel.
WSJM News is not publishing screenshots from the video or posting the video itself. We are also not identifying the student who was victimized at the request of the family.
