In most cases, when school boards are confronted about issues, it is the parents confronting them. After all, not only are they the taxpayers, but they also have a vested interest in their children's education. In a recent case, however, one student didn't wait around for her parents to take on her local school board. In what is a pretty gutsy move for someone her age, she decided to take the school board on herself. When it's parents taking on the school board, in many cases, they turn a deaf ear to the parents' concerns. Will having a student in their face finally make a difference?

In Lansdale, Pennsylvania, at a recent North Penn School District school board meeting, a middle school student identifying as "Emily" addressed board members and parents in attendance about a 13-year-old transgender student who violently attacked a fellow 12-year-old student, beating her with a metal Stanley cup. The student was hospitalized after the attack with an open wound that required staples in her head. Emily went on to say that the attack was part of an alleged "hit list" kept by the transgender student that included the victim and herself. Emily also stated that she and another student had gone to a counselor's office daily in an attempt to warn them the attack would happen.

🚨BREAKING🚨

A male who identifies as transgender brutally assaulted a female student at Pennbrook Middle School in PA.

One girl who said she was "second on [his] hit list" told the school board that she had begged for help HOURS before the attack, but teachers did nothing. pic.twitter.com/sRRZlnuwZU

— REDUXX (@ReduxxMag) April 20, 2024

Emily addressed the school board, and took teachers, counselors, and administrators to task for not heeding warnings and allowing it to happen. "You could've stopped it. It was five hours from when I told you it was going to happen. I don't get how you couldn't have stopped that." Emily went on to recount that the trans student was even brazen enough to yell "I'm gonna murder you!" several times at the students. Emily also stated that she and two other students went through the proper channels and filled out paperwork, detailing the attack that was going to happen if nothing was done. Emily said she was merely told to "watch your back" in the lunchroom. A teacher brushed off the possible incident, telling Emily, "Don't worry about it, it's not gonna happen." 

As she spoke to the school board, Emily described being traumatized by the incident stating, 

“We had to watch [the victim] taken out with blood dripping down her face and I will never forget that! Laying in bed last night I just kept repeating it in my head."

Emily also said the incident lasted for roughly 28 minutes, which challenges the school district's account of events, which claims the attack only lasted eight minutes. 

North Penn Superintendent Todd Bauer said the incident was "deeply disturbing," and issued a statement that read in part,

“As an educator, as your superintendent, and as a father, I am appalled by what happened. We are currently pursuing the details leading up to this incident, and why it occurred. We are also collaborating with our local law enforcement, and their investigation, as we work to ensure that something like this cannot happen again in our schools. Such behavior has no place in our schools. You expect better, we expect better, and certainly I do as well."

I have so many questions. 1. How are only parts of this being released? 2. Are transgenders being given drugs that make them violent? 3. How did this manifesto get discovered?Alleged Would-Be School Shooter Andrea Ye Identifies as Male, Prefers the https://t.co/Iavwy43SAN

— Lisa Hartke (@Lihartke) April 20, 2024

Parents are not happy. In an email to parents, the school district referred to the incident as a "fight" when it was clearly much more than that. Alyssa Santiago's daughter was one of those on the alleged "hit list" and said, "I was assured that my daughter was safe, and I was assured that it was handled, and taken care of." Another parent wanted to know why there were serious discrepancies between what their child was telling them and what the school district was saying about the incident. But it was parent Suzanne Dziedzic, who may have hit on the real reason the incident was handled, or not handled, the way it was. She stated.

“Unfortunately, what most of us believe is that decisions are being made based out of a fear of lawsuits, and not what would be an appropriate consequence to the behavior. These instances continue to occur, and occur more frequently, because nothing is changing."

Further comments from parents seemed to suggest they might agree with Dziedzic. Some of those comments were about whether the alleged assailant's gender identity was withheld from parents in any communications with them about the incident, but board Vice President Christian Fusco stated that,

“There is no comment that we are able to make at this time, because of everyone’s due process rights, and because of the law. I do wish that I could answer those questions. My heart is broken as well."

One more clue that maybe the school district might not want to keep referring to this as a "fight," the attacker has been charged with aggravated assault, and a hearing is scheduled for Monday.

BREAKING: MD Democrat Official LOSES it when asked why he won’t admit the Montgomery County attempted school shooter was trans pic.twitter.com/NVR54cr4l5

— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) April 19, 2024