Father of football player assaulted by teammates wants further investigation
The father of a 15-year-old Ringgold student who was allegedly assaulted following football practice Sept. 13 said he wants the school district to investigate where coaches were during the incident and to find out who posted a video on social media.
Roderick Wilson said he found out about the alleged assault Friday from school district administration after a parent saw it on Snapchat and notified the district.
“I commend the parent for calling in and reporting it,” said Wilson, who talked about the incident during and after the Ringgold school board meeting Wednesday night. “I didn’t find out until Friday. I knew my son came home with some bruises and some knots on his head and suffering from a headache on Wednesday, and I gave him some medicine, but I did not know it was pertaining to the (assault). I want to know where the coaches were, and I want the school to find out who put my kid on Snapchat.”
Two members of the football team, seniors Tyrese Lamont Youngblood and Dezmier Alize Majors, both 18 and residents of Donora, were charged with misdemeanor counts of simple assault in connection with the incident. Youngblood also faces a charge of harassment in the case,
Majors is listed as a 6-4, 220-pound tight end and Youngblood, a 6-1, 220-pound running back on Ringgold’s football roster.
Wilson said his son, a member of the football team, is a 5-foot, 9-inch sophomore.
Wilson said his son did not tell him the injuries were sustained during the assault because “his teammates told him don’t snitch because there could be possible repercussions.”
According to the police affidavit, the athletic director notified school police she had been told a fight occurred after football practice at Joe Montana Stadium. Police said they looked at surveillance video, which captured the alleged assault.
According to police, the video, which Wilson has not yet watched, shows his son being punched and kicked repeatedly by Youngblood and Majors at the front gate of the stadium.
“Everybody agrees it was a vicious attack,” said Wilson. “He didn’t even see some of the hits coming. Who does this to a teammate? Those two are seniors. One of them is six-feet, four-inches, the other is six-feet one. My son is five-nine. Seniors are supposed to exemplify and exhibit leadership. You don’t beat up on a teammate. Where were the coaches while this was going on, and who was recording it?”
Wilson said his son is recovering from his injuries.
The school district declined to comment on the incident during the meeting.
School district solicitor Timothy Berggren said the Sunshine Act “prohibits confidential matters of any kind from being addressed. Confidential matters include student discipline and personnel.”
School board president William Stein read the following statement: “The Ringgold School District takes student safety very seriously. When the district learns of possible incidents that affect student safety, it has and always will respond promptly and appropriately. This includes the filing of criminal charges when appropriate. The school district recently learned, after the fact, that an incident had occurred involving the assault on a student. Once that information was brought to the attention of the school district, the Ringgold Police and administration immediately investigated the matter and filed the appropriate criminal charges against the offending students. As criminal charges are pending, and as this matter involves the discipline of students, who are minors, the Ringgold School District cannot comment on this matter.”
Police filed the charges against Youngblood and Majors before District Judge Larry Hopkins in Charleroi. The two face a preliminary hearing before Hopkins at 9 p.m. Oct. 19.