COLUMBUS, OH – In a shocking turn of events, an 11-year-old boy’s first weeks at Eastland Performance Academy spiraled into a nightmare for his family. Elizabeth Johnson, the boy’s mother, is beside herself with frustration and anger as she recounts the violent incident.
Last Tuesday, Johnson rushed to the school after a staff member alerted her that her son was injured and needed urgent medical attention. Upon arrival, she found him with severe ear bleeding, bewildered and insisting he did nothing to provoke the assault.
Johnson says the brutal incident took place during class as her son was relentlessly attacked by another student. The teacher reportedly missed key moments of the fight, including her son being repeatedly choked and slammed into a window.
The boy sustained grievous injuries, including a cracked skull and a ruptured eardrum, with bruises marking his young body. Johnson questions why proper intervention measures were not taken immediately when the teacher failed to separate the students.
A report filed with the Columbus Division of Police is being looked into as felonious assault. The boy said the attack erupted out of nowhere while he was speaking with a friend, and it rendered him unconscious at one point.
Johnson said she expected a more secure environment at Eastland after moving her son from a Whitehall school due to bullying. She is disappointed with the academy’s response and the sluggish pace of the investigation.
Superintendent Jeff Luelleman confirmed awareness of the altercation and assured cooperation with police, citing student safety as paramount while being constrained by privacy laws regarding further comments.
Following the distressing experience, Johnson plans to homeschool her son as he recuperates from the horrific attack and deals with the accompanying psychological scars.