Police are investigating the attack on a transgender high school student in Bellingham

BELLINGHAM, Washing, — A Bellingham High School student is recovering after being attacked outside school grounds by a group of students accused of making transphobic comments.

According to Bellingham police, the sophomore reported the incident on Oct. 22 when they were pushed and hit by other students on Cornwall Avenue.

“It took me a few days to realize how serious it was that my child was being hit because he was transgender,” said Alyssa Ruben, the victim’s mother. “The children who attacked my child should have been deported immediately.”

Ruben said she went to the school after the attack and demanded that Bellingham police be contacted to investigate.

“No one says anything, no one knows about it, so they just keep doing what they do without any responsibility, and that ends with me,” she said.

Ruben added that her child continues to have severe concussion symptoms and has an appointment at Seattle Children’s Hospital for evaluation.

“It’s not over yet and if they have a traumatic brain injury, the consequences can be lifelong,” she said.

In a letter to parents, Bellingham High School Principal Martin Atkins said the district is limited in what it can share due to the ongoing investigation and privacy concerns.

“We want to assure you that we take all allegations of violence and hate-motivated behavior very seriously,” Atkins’ letter said. “Incidents of hate speech and behavior are not only unacceptable, but have lasting and damaging consequences for our community. We are committed to healing and education to strengthen and diversify our next generation of leaders. Our policies reflect this commitment and we will continue to implement measures that promote respect, understanding and safety for all students.”

The incident has also gained a lot of attention on social media after Ruben posted about it on her TikTok page.

According to Ruben, a video of the attack was found on Instagram by other students and shared with authorities.

“We have approximately 45 seconds of one of the videos recorded by one of the attackers,” said Lance Preston, executive director of the police department. Rainbow Youth Project. “Just in the short few seconds we had, it was horrible, it was horrific.”

Preston and the Rainbow Youth Project are providing support and assistance to Ruben’s family.

“We are very impressed with the Bellingham Police Department, the detective there is doing everything they can to hold these people accountable,” he said. “If we allow these incidents to pass, we are essentially making a statement to these young people that it is okay or acceptable. It makes victims feel worthless, like they are not important and that their lives don’t matter.”

Bellingham police said the case remains under investigation.