NORTH ATTLEBORO (CBS) – Police are investigating after a transgender North Attleboro High School student was allegedly attacked following a basketball game against Foxboro Tuesday night.
What started as a verbal conflict inside North Attleboro High School eventually spilled into the parking lot, ending when some Foxboro students assaulted the North Attleboro student, allegedly calling her offensive slurs because she is transgender.
“This was a deeply upsetting and disturbing incident that in no way reflects the values and principles of North Attleboro Public Schools,” Superintendent John Antonucci wrote in a statement. “We strive to provide a welcoming, supportive and above all safe learning environment for all, and denounce all acts of hate and violence.”
Foxboro Superintendent Amy Berdos added that the incident, “is contrary to everything that the Foxboro Schools teach and believe in. Acts of hate and discrimination have no place in our community.”
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WBZ spoke with the student’s mother, who said that the family doesn’t feel comfortable coming forward while police investigate the assault but hopes that her daughter’s experience teaches others about hate. The girl is okay physically following the attack.
“It was pretty upsetting,” North Attleboro junior Aiden Moebius told WBZ. “It was just really upsetting for the LGBTQ community. A lot of people were upset about it, and it just felt very shallow for Foxboro.”
Moebius said the principal of the high school spoke to students about the incident on Thursday. “I’m glad we are having that kind of conversation about it because people don’t really talk about that kind of stuff very often,” he added.
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The National Center for Transgender Equity told WBZ that violence against transgender people is on the rise. “Last year saw the highest number of violent deaths for transgender and nonbinary people since we started tracking the data,” said Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, executive director of the NCTE. “Transgender people should be able to live their lives – and go to a basketball game or any other event – without fear of harassment, discrimination or violence.”
