It takes someone with courage to step in when they see wrong being done.
Not everyone has that kind of courage.
But North Tonawanda High School wrestlers Simon Griskonis and Anthony Swan do. When they saw a group of bullies beating the crap out of a fellow student, they stepped in to shut the abuse down.
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“Me and Anthony were like, ‘this can’t happen, we have to stop it,” said Simon, a 15-year-old Junior at the New York high school, told WKBW.
The girl’s parents said that their daughter, Amelia, was attacked and humiliated by three girls in front of a dozen other teens.
“The group of girls emerged from behind the bleachers,” said Anthony, 17, said. “The girl was walking away from the mob and they beat on her.”
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The girl’s parents said she was dragged by her hair, punched and kicked repeatedly in the head, and had urine poured on her.
She kept trying to walk away and never tried to fight the girls but the bullies kept their assault going.
“She got kicked in the face and that just really upset me,” Simon said.
That’s when the boys jumped in to stop the vicious assault and approached the girls. Anthony grabbed Ameila and walked her off the field.
Simon stayed behind to confront the bullies.
“They were like, ‘we’re not leaving, we hang out here all the time,” he said. “And I told them to get off the field.”
Anthony came back to insist that they leave.
“As soon as I stepped in, everyone backed away,” he recalls.
Anthony then walked the girl home.
“She was just saying, ‘thank you so much. She told me about what was dumped on her.”
The humiliation didn’t end with the beatings. Unfortunately, the bullies had also dumped urine on her.
A video of the vile assault ended up going viral. After obtaining the video, the North Tonawanda Police opened up an investigation into the matter.
HAPPENING TODAY: Police in NT are investigating an incident of bullying where a girl was attacked on school grounds. @wkbw pic.twitter.com/zHMIHfHi5D
— Hannah Buehler (@HannahBuehler) July 3, 2020
The bullies, who were middle school-aged, will be charged and referred to family court.
“Detectives are working with school administrators who will be taking disciplinary action to the extent they are allowed. No names will be released due to the ages of those involved.”
Hopefully, whatever consequences these children receive will include restorative justice and will help them to learn the error of their ways and don’t repeat this behavior.
Amelia’s cousin started a GoFundMe for the girl which has so far raised more than $9,000.
“My heart is aching for this beautiful little girl who has nothing but love in her heart,” Kim Weishan wrote.
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“I’m setting up this go fund me to bless her a little and show her that there are good people in this world and that she is loved.”
The victim’s parents said they were extremely grateful that Anthony and Simon intervened.
“As many stood and watched, only two courageous, outstanding young men stepped in to help. Anthony and Simon,” the parents wrote.
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“These boys did not know our daughter, they just knew she was in trouble, and they took action. I can’t think of where we might be today, had they not stopped this heinous assault on our sweet child. This being said, we can not find enough words to praise and thank not only Anthony and Simon, but their parents, for raising young men with such courage, love, and just basic human decency…Thank you.”
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The boys ended up being honored and awarded by the mayor’s office. The family hopes that this story will inspire more people to act like Simon and Anthony.
Though Ameila’s glasses were broken in the attack and she sustained a concussion and several bruises, knowing that people care and that she is loved is helping her to heal.
“The way our community has rallied around Amelia…the kind words, the gifts, the donations, and all the assurances that she is not alone and is very much loved, has been overwhelming,” they wrote.
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“All the beautiful words of comfort and encouragement have brought a smile to her face. She has loved reading the messages of love and kindness….so again, we thank you all. Most of all, it is our fondest wish this horrible and senseless act can turn into a positive for others, not only in our community but for all these kids who suffer from bullying and attacks every day. Take the example of these young men, and rise above the bullies… show love and kindness, not hate.”
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