EXCLUSIVE: Washington State girl knocked unconscious in school bathroom fight while students recorded

A fight in a girl’s bathroom at a public high school in the Seattle area ended up with a girl being knocked unconscious. No one intervened because they were too busy recording the altercation on their cell phones. 

On February 23, at Lynnwood High School, an “altercation” broke out in one of the girls’ restrooms. 

The Edmonds School District told The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI, “As soon as staff members learned what was happening, they quickly rushed to break up the fight and called 911, as one student was injured. Paramedics arrived and provided care to the injured student.” 

At a February 27 school board meeting, Kevin Seng, a student advisor at the school, discussed how, instead of students coming to the unnamed girl’s aid, they instead took video of the fight on their phones. 

Seng began, “The principal came on the intercom today after lunch, and he's a very loved principal by the students, but when he has to come on the intercom like this, it's not very good news.” 

According to the student advisor, during the announcement, the principal was discussing the fight and how fights in the school “are not uncommon. They do happen. But when you have students who don't intervene, they stand there and film, it's not acceptable.” 

Seng continued, “Someone's got to step in, but nobody did. People walked over the unconscious student in the bathroom, ignoring it.” 

Seng added, “School is supposed to be a safe place, we should be helping each other. Don't film the videos, be able to help each other. It could be a friend who is in need.” 

He continued, “It's kind of a setback at having school feel like a belonging, a safe place, and there's a multitude of things here, and I hope the student who was knocked unconscious is doing well, and I hope we can have better results in the future.” 

The district told Hoffman, “Administrators thoroughly investigated the incident, which included reviewing hallway surveillance footage and student cellphone videos. They were able to identify those involved.” 

“The district has clear policies and procedures in place to address student altercations. These policies were followed, and appropriate disciplinary action was taken.” 

A spokesperson for the district added, “Violence is never acceptable in our schools. We are committed to fostering a safe and caring learning environment for all students.” 

“For any student who feels unsafe or may be experiencing bullying, we encourage them to reach out to a staff member. If they do not feel comfortable doing so, they can report their concerns anonymously through any of the options below. These concerns go directly to our Safety Specialist and our administrators.”