A high school in Rhode Island has decided to cancel its entire football season after an incident involving a 16-year-old boy who allegedly attacked and whipped a student with special needs in the locker room.
Video footage shared on X shows one student standing over another, who is on his knees, being whipped while pleading, “Please say I’m sorry. Please say I’m really sorry.”
In the background, another student responds, “I’m really sorry.” The standing student insists, “No, I said I’m sorry, I’m really sorry,” while the kneeling student struggles to echo the sentiment as he is struck.
“I said, ‘I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,'” the standing student continues, pressing the other to repeat after him.
Throughout this disturbing scene, other students can be seen in the locker room remaining passive.
The kneeling boy repeats his apology, only to be whipped again.
In the aftermath of the assault, Newport Superintendent Colleen Burns Germaine addressed the situation in a letter, stating that the football season would be canceled due to the “totally unacceptable” behavior displayed in the video.
“This is a serious issue, and there is no gray area when it comes to this type of behavior,” Germain remarked. “Those involved will face appropriate disciplinary actions as per district policy.”
A Newport Police officer has confirmed that the 16-year-old depicted in the video has been charged with two counts of assaulting a severely disabled person.
The Newport Police Department reiterated that bullying will not be tolerated in the community and emphasized a commitment to investigate such instances thoroughly.
According to reports, Germain acknowledged in her letter that there was a “tradition” of roughhousing before games but noted that one player took it to an entirely unacceptable level. She expressed concern that other players failed to intervene or report the incident to adults.
“We have identified a pattern of roughhousing and fistfights among players prior to games,” she stated. “However, the extreme nature of this incident is simply not acceptable. It’s particularly troubling that other players didn’t step in to stop it or alert an adult.”
