On Wednesday (Nov. 29), KSHB 41 reported that a white male teen received a felony after yelling a racial slur at and starting a fight with a Black girl in a Prairie Village, Kansas high school hallway earlier this month.
The Johnson County District Court charged the unnamed 15-year-old with aggravated battery for causing bodily harm in the attack, which was caught in a viral cellphone video. In the clip, the two students could be seen arguing, with the Black girl, a sophomore that revealed herself to be Brey’anna Brown, yelling, “Don’t say nothing unless you’re gonna come say it to my face.” Said white student then charged at the girl while using the word “n**ger” in response. He then threw the first punch, setting off a brawl that was eventually broken up by those nearby. It remains unclear what started the conflict.
“I’m kind of scared to go back because I don’t know what to look forward to,” said Brown to KSHB 41. “The thought in my head was either I protect myself or run away from it, or I get beat up and don’t know what else to do. So I chose to stand up for myself.”
On Monday (Nov. 27), about 100 Shawnee Mission East students staged a walkout in support of Brown, who was said to have been hospitalized due to a broken nose. Her parents also revealed that she received a five-day suspension for her involvement in the fight.
“The district is saddened by the incident, but could not comment on the punishment,” stated a Johnson County spokesperson. “While we cannot share specific information about the incident on the district’s response, we do want to reassure the community that we take proactive measures to create a safe educational environment where every student feels a sense of belonging.”