Pittsburgh-area high school student had part of ear bitten off during fight, mom says

CBS News

13-05-2025

Pennsylvania high school student had part of ear bitten off during fight, mom says
Pennsylvania high school student had part of ear bitten off during fight, mom says
Pennsylvania high school student had part of ear bitten off during fight, mom says
A Washington County mother said part of her son's ear was bitten off during a fight with another student at Ringgold High School.
She is outraged, telling KDKA that she warned school leaders numerous times about her child being bullied on their watch.
Fight at Ringgold High School
The mother said she got a call from the high school telling her that her son had part of his ear bitten off.
"They told me that they would make sure that my son was protected," she said.
The woman, who asked to remain anonymous for her family's safety, said she knew it was just a matter of time before something bad happened to her son.
She said repeated calls, emails and visits to the school about her son's bullying went unheard.
"I begged this school for the last two solid months to help me," the victim's mother said.
Her son's ongoing struggle with his alleged bully came to a boiling point earlier this month when the two boys ran into each other in the school's bathroom.
She said a fight broke out and ended violently when her son got the top of his right ear bitten off.
"He has part of his ear missing, so we have to wait six months to a year to start with the first surgery. There will be numerous," she said.
Victim's mom said school "failed" her son
Despite the severity of the incident, she said the attacker is back in school after a 10-day suspension. She said the punishment doesn't fit the crime.
"My son's ear is gone. He's going to have a deformed ear. My son tried to kill himself because he is so depressed. My son is going to counseling. He has PTSD," she said.
The Ringgold School said it does not comment on student disciplinary matters. But in a statement to KDKA, it said:
"It is committed to maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment for all students. We can confirm that all parties involved in this matter were afforded their appropriate due process, consistent with the district's policies and applicable legal standards."
"They're supposed to protect him, and they failed him," the victim's mother said.
The victim and his attacker will be back in school on Wednesday for the first time since the incident.