Outrage Over Bullying of Student Shaan Pritimani in Texas

India-West News Desk

COPPELL, TX – Indian American student Shaan Pritmani, was assaulted and “choked for over four minutes” by a white student at Coppell Middle School, here.

A video was shot by classmates of the student being bullied and shared online. Other classmates simply stood by watching the attack.

The video shows a student approaching Shaan who is sitting at a lunch bench and demanding that he stand up. In the video, “No, I’m not getting up. There is literally no one sitting here,” Shaan can be heard saying.
When he refuses to give up his seat, the white student gets angry and starts choking him. He presses the boy’s neck from behind with his elbow before choking him and pushing him against his seat.

The student’s mom, Sonika Kukreja has been talking to the media explaining her helpnesses in watching the treatment meted out to her son. She has pointed out that her son’s neck could have broken.

“Disturbing footage of Shaan Pritmani, a middle school student, being assaulted and choked for over four minutes by a white student. The incident took place in a suburb of Dallas, Coppell Middle School. Shaan received three days of suspension while the assaulter received one day,” the North American Association of Indian Students said in a tweet.

The incident has sparked anger and criticism on social media.

The incident reportedly took place on May 11. The official Twitter handle of an advocate named Ravi Karkara said, “On Wednesday, May 11th, during lunch, Shaan Pritmani was physically attacked and choked by another student at his middle school.”