A Texas high schooler said he was trying to defend a female classmate when another student punched him, and now his mother is questioning why teachers didn’t intervene.
Bisade Afolabi, a 17-year-old senior at Summit High School in Mansfield, told WFAA-TV the fight started when a boy he didn't know threatened a girl he was sitting with in the school's auditorium.
“I said, ‘Hold up. You don’t disrespect a woman like that. That’s wrong,’” Afolabi said. “And then he said, ‘Who are you? I’m going to punch you.’”
Several classmates sitting nearby took video, which appears to show the other boy throwing punches at Afolabi as he remains seated. Eventually, Afolabi stands and appears to attempt to grab the boy to try and stop the fight, the news station reported.
Afolabi, who is a boxer and football player, says he held back because he didn’t want to threaten his eligibility to play sports or his legal status. The high schooler and his family are permanent residents from Nigeria. He told WFAA he threw one punch, but isn’t sure if it hit the other student.
Afolabi said he hasn’t faced discipline for the assault.
Afolabi’s mother, Bola Afolabi, wants to press charges against the boy who punched her son. Bisade Afolabi said teachers jumped in to end the fight after it broke out, but his mother wants to know why teachers didn’t respond sooner.
“Why did it take them so long?” she said, “Because I can see the fight does not start immediately.”
The Mansfield Independent School District released a statement to WFAA, saying staff rushed to get the situation under control and added that appropriate disciplinary actions have been taken.
Bisade Afolabi said he’s been benched from all sports until he’s cleared by a doctor, but told WFAA he believes he did the right thing.
About the Author
