Video of violent attack at Gilroy school spurs lawsuit
Gilroy Unified sued over campus violence
Nearly a year ago, a student at a Gilroy school stabbed another during a fight in a bathroom. Now, new video of a separate act of violence on the same campus in 2024 has surfaced, putting the school and district back in the spotlight.
GILROY, Calif - Nearly a year ago, a student at a Gilroy school stabbed another during a fight in a bathroom. Now, new video of a separate act of violence on the same campus in 2024 has surfaced, putting the school and district back in the spotlight.
Brutal beatings caught on video
What we know:
As the Gilroy Unified School District board met in closed session Thursday evening, another lawsuit came to light. Cellphone video shows a student at Christopher High School grabbing another student by the hair, throwing her to the ground and delivering a brutal beating.
"I just couldn't imagine being a student at this school and seeing this kind of thing happen," said attorney Mark Boskovich.
Boskovich is representing the victim, identified in legal documents as "Jane Doe," along with her family. He alleged the sucker-punch attack in the video was a setup by another 16-year-old student, referred to as "Heather Doe," who had been previously transferred from another district school due to behavioral issues.
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"I don’t know what environment they’re growing up in where they think that’s OK — to just attack somebody. It’s uncalled for," said Sandra, a parent of a student who declined to give her last name. "That course of action is uncalled for, 100%."
Boskovich said this marks the third consecutive year that a Gilroy Unified student has been attacked and beaten on campus without adult intervention.
In May 2024, a student attempted to stab another during a bathroom fight at Christopher High.
In a second video from 2023, provided by Boskovich, a female student is seen beating another on the campus of a Gilroy middle school. That case was settled for $100,000 in damages.
"These fights are lasting several seconds. No one’s intervening. People are just crowding around — there’s just noise — and you think, where’s the teacher?" Boskovich said. "At no point in the video does anyone come in there and intervene."
District hit with lawsuit
Dig deeper:
Boskovich is again suing the Gilroy Unified School District, this time for battery, negligence by public employees and breach of duty.
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"Have the guys [teacher] in the right place. Just have a plan. Just think about it. Be conscientious about it. It’s not rocket science," he said.
In response to the lawsuit, Gilroy Unified said in a statement that it "takes all allegations of harassment, bullying, or abuse of any kind very seriously and is committed to the safety of all students and staff as its first priority."
Some Christopher High parents said campus violence has been a problem for years — and extends beyond just one district.
"No matter how good protection is in the school, these children are just gonna act the way they do," said Sandra.
The parents of the victim in the most recent case have withdrawn their daughter from school and are now home-schooling her due to safety concerns.
The district has not disclosed whether any of the students involved in the incidents were disciplined, or what that discipline may have entailed.
The Source: Attorney Mark Boskovich, Gilroy Unified School District, along with parents.