School officials to investigate Facebook posts on Westlake beating

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By Christian Boone

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Fulton County school officials say they intend to investigate Facebook postings from apparent sympathizers of the students allegedly involved in Monday's beating that left a Westlake High classmate with a wired jaw and broken nose.

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Meredith's son was severely beaten in a classroom at Westlake High School on Monday November 7, 2011. Five students have been charged in the beating, which put her 16-year-old son in the hospital with a broken jaw.

Brant Sanderlin, bsanderlin@ajc.com Meredith's son was severely beaten in a classroom at Westlake High School on Monday November 7, 2011. Five students have been charged in the beating, which put her 16-year-old son in the hospital with a broken jaw.

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Five Westlake underclassmen -- including one female -- arrested in connection with the attack are being held at the Fulton County Youth Detention Center. They face charges including aggravated assault and aggravated battery, said Samantha Evans, a spokeswoman for Fulton schools.

Evans said school officials were previously unaware of many of the Facebook postings following Monday's assault of the 16-year-old junior.

They learned of the threatening posts, which were contained within multiple threads discussing the assault, from a Channel 2 Action News reporter, who showed them to officials on Friday. After reviewing the threads, Evans said the school system planned to dispatch added security personnel to Westlake when classes resume Monday.

In one thread, a sister of one of the suspects encourages her sibling's friends to provide statements to investigators.

"Give his sister a call because she need for u all [to] give a statement saying that [her brother] was defending himself and that [a second suspect] had nothing to do with it," wrote one friend, who provided the sister's phone number.

One of the threats came from a student at Southwest Christian Academy. Evans said the principal at that school has been informed of the threat allegedly posted by one of his students.

Evans said investigators have already collected statements from students who witnessed the beating.

It's unclear whether the information posted on Facebook might be used against the suspects in their criminal trials. Before their arrests two of the suspects allegedly boasted about their role in Monday's assault.

"[H]is teeth gone, both his eyes was leakin' and his nose," said the female suspect. Wrote another, in all caps: "He got beat bad."

The victim spent three days at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston and faces a long recovery, said his mother, adding he is unlikely to return to Westlake.

Meanwhile, at least one of the teens advised her Facebook friends to be careful of what they post.

"Tell everybody to delete they pics and all dat cuz its on the news sayin they on fb braggin," she wrote.