Parents speak out after 16-year-old is viciously beaten in school hallway as students film attack

Editor’s note: The video above may be disturbing for some viewers. Discretion is advised.

RIGBY — A 16-year-old girl was brutally attacked at Rigby High School when another girl grabbed her by the hair, smacked her face, yanked her to the floor and beat her in the head for 60 seconds last week. As the attack happened, a crowd of students stopped to watch, film the assault with their cell phones, laugh and cheer the perpetrator on.

Video of the attack was shared widely on social media, and multiple people sent recordings to EastIdahoNews.com.

The footage shows the freshman assailant sneaking up on the 10th-grade victim from behind and attacking her in the hallway at 2:35 p.m. as she was leaving school.

“She was jumped from behind by one student, she was ripped down by her hair and she banged her head on the ground,” said the 16-year-old’s father, Tyler Pincock. “No one stepped in. There were no teachers around. There were a lot of students around, and no one tried to break it up.”

Blood poured from her nose, and she received multiple minor cuts and bruises, her parents said.

Nobody intervened until another girl appeared at the end, who tugged on the assailant before walking her away from the victim.

Because the students are minors, EastIdahoNews.com is not reporting their names; however, the victim’s parents were willing to be identified.

According to the parents, their daughter received a text message or had heard earlier in the day on Oct. 16 that the other girl “was going to do something,” so she tried to avoid her.

The victim believes she was attacked because the other girl was jealous about a boy, Pincock said.

“My daughter’s been bullied before, but not to this extent. She hadn’t been assaulted, of course,” her father said.

Halfway through the attack, one student informed a teacher, who stepped briefly into the hall and then immediately ran into her classroom to call for help.

The girl’s parents say the teacher has been widely criticized on social media for not personally intervening sooner. But they believe she did what she thought was right and have reviewed the school’s video footage of the teacher dialing multiple phone numbers, trying to get a hold of someone to help.

“The teacher did nothing wrong. She was trying to be supportive and helpful,” said Whitney Pincock, whose daughter was injured. “It’s not that she went to her classroom and said, ‘You’re on your own.’”

The attack occurred at the end of the school day when most of the staff were not in the building. When the assailant eventually walked away, the victim remained crumpled on the floor.

“No one helps her up initially, like she crawls over to the lockers and she’s bleeding, and someone eventually comes and helps her and kind of guides her into the teacher’s classroom,” her father said.

The instructor helped his daughter and provided first aid right after the assault. The school resource officer and an administrator arrived on the scene after the attack had ended.

The perpetrator immediately left school grounds and was quickly arrested, the resource officer told the 10th-grader’s parents.

The Pincocks’ daughter is now recovering from significant trauma.

“She does not remember certain things that happened immediately (following the assault). She does not remember the teacher helping her with first aid. She does not remember giving a statement to the police officer, to the school resource officer,” her father said. “That’s why we had to go to the school and watch videos so we could find out exactly what happened.”

Since the attack, she is keeping up with her studies by taking online courses at home.

“Physically she’s fine. Emotionally, it’s not good,” Tyler Pincock said. “She’s a 16-year-old girl, and she was jumped and assaulted at school, and no one did anything. … I think my daughter probably feels embarrassed and is probably sad and heartbroken that no one stepped in.”

The Pincocks still do not know if their daughter will return to the high school.

“She’s the one having to question her safety at school when she did not do anything wrong,“ her father said.

Not an isolated incident

Videos of the attack circulated widely on social media, including on Instagram, where a “RHSFights2024” page with 211 followers displayed eight videos of Rigby High School students attacking or fighting each other.

“I think that is a cultural problem that’s not unique to our area or Rigby High School,” Tyler Pincock said. “With social media, kids are looking for things to record that they think are going to give them lots of clicks. So it’s frustrating being the parent of the victim that that’s society’s first inclination now is to pull out a phone and record it, rather than step in and do something.”

Although that Instagram page had been removed by Saturday, two other “Rigby fights” accounts are still active on the platform. One from 2022 contains three videos with 700 to 842 views apiece, showing students fighting in a bathroom, outside on the grounds and in a hallway.

Video of last week’s fight was also posted on TikTok and Facebook, where numerous local parents responded with outrage and concern.

Consequences cloaked by privacy laws

The victim’s parents have met twice with school administrators since the attack, and report that so far, they are satisfied with the district’s response to the attack. Tyler and Whitney Pincock believe the perpetrator should be expelled.

District and Rigby High School administrators did not respond to EastIdahoNews.com requests for an interview.

However, Jefferson County School District 251 Superintendent Chad Martin e-mailed parents Monday morning, stating, “Many of you may have seen the video of the recent act of violence at Rigby High School. I want to express my deep concern and disgust regarding this behavior – there is no place for it in our schools or community.

“Please be assured that we are taking this matter very seriously. While we are unable to disclose specific disciplinary actions due to privacy laws, I want to provide clarity on the guidelines that govern our response in situations involving criminal behavior or policy violations.”

Martin said the high school’s administration can suspend a student up to five days, the superintendent can extend that 10 more days, and if additional action is warranted, the board of trustees holds a hearing to determine whether expulsion is appropriate. The district’s disciplinary policy is mandated by state law in Idaho Code 33–205.

“I want to emphasize that violence is not tolerated in our school district,” Martin said. “In cases of violent behavior, we will hold violators accountable to ensure the safety and well-being of all our students.”

However, Tyler Pincock is frustrated that school districts cannot share publicly the punishment that is ultimately imposed because of minors’ privacy rights.

“We always hear from school districts that there’s a zero tolerance, and they’re going to take action, but because of the law, they can’t ever say what action was taken,” he said. “What can be done to fix the system so people know that appropriate justice was served and to disincentivize or to dissuade kids from bullying? I think when they don’t hear what happens, they don’t think there’s any punishment.”

“Charges have been referred to the prosecutor’s office, and some of the students that were videotaping are being disciplined through the school district as well,” Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Jennifer Fullmer said.

Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Taylor said his office is following the standard procedures for juvenile cases.

Although they cannot release extensive information because the perpetrator is a minor, “we’re following our standard procedures as far as looking into the social background of the juvenile and what is the best way to proceed,” Taylor said.

Jefferson County Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Scott Peterson, who is overseeing the case, said that juvenile cases are sealed by the court and are confidential.

“I understand the community’s concern, but I am bound by certain rules as an attorney and as a prosecutor that I can’t discuss juvenile matters or other criminal proceedings,” he said.

The victim’s parents said they met with the prosecutor and requested that the assailant be charged with battery, the maximum charge for the situation, her father said.

Meanwhile, the community has rallied around the injured girl and her family — including parents of kids who watched their classmate be beaten.

“We have received so much love and attention, and it has restored my faith in humanity … especially after no one came to her aid. … The students, her classmates, did not come to her aid, and it broke my heart especially … but how much love we have received this past week has filled my heart so full,” Whitney Pincock said. “And (my daughter) feels that too.”