Houston teen whose brutal attack at school was caught on video speaks out
HOUSTON - A high school freshman whose attack by two other students was caught on video is speaking out. Juan Martinez was brutally beaten at Sterling High School in the cafeteria.
"I went and got my food and sat down and they just came up behind me and they just started saying, dude, we got to fight you know," recalled Martinez. "And I was just like just leave me alone, 'no, I'm not going to fight with y'all [sic]' so they just started hitting me."
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He says hours before the attack his attackers approached him in the bathroom.
"The big kid came behind me and said ‘we got to fight in order for us to be cool’ and I was like 'I just don't want to fight with y'all [sic],'" Martinez added.
The beating happened on the second day of school. However, the Martinez family and local nonprofit group FIEL say it was days later when they came across the video of the attack on social media.
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Martinez suffered head and leg injuries. He says the beating continued after the video ends and he still gets dizzy spells.
"Juan did have a brain surgery when he was 4-years-old and one of the indications after that surgery was that he did not have any head trauma," said Cesar Espinoza, Executive Director, FIEL.
The teen's father says he is disappointed in the school. He is also demanding more safety measures to prevent another attack and answers about how the two attackers are being held accountable.
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The family says the two students are still at the same school as Martinez and the harassment has continued in-person and on social media.
FOX 26 reached out to HISD for comment on the Martinez family's most recent allegations. We are still waiting for a response. However, on September 6th when the video began circulating, the district did issue this statement:
"The district is aware of an incident that took place at Sterling High School that is currently circulating via social media. The district is investigating this matter and will take the necessary action to ensure all students have access to a safe learning environment."