Kitchener mom says teen son hurt in 'vicious and brutal' attack at school

A Kitchener mom is calling for stricter punishments for students who are violent towards their classmates after she says her 14-year-old son was jumped on school property.

Sabrina Brezina's son, Cameron, needed eight stitches after an unprovoked attack outside his high school Wednesday after school.

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She said he suffered four gashes to the forehead, neck and back of the head, a swollen jaw, a blackened eye, two chipped teeth and a concussion, along with other scrapes and bruises all over his body.

"My son is a good kid, well liked by his peers, teachers and most anyone who comes in contact with him," she said, noting he is also a master corporal at 1596 Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps and he's on the competitive marksmanship team.

She told CBC News the Waterloo Region District School Board's zero tolerance policy for violence "is seriously lacking in actually following through with zero tolerance."

"Zero tolerance should mean exactly that. Zero," Brezina said.

"This attack was vicious and brutal and should result in nothing less than expulsion. The board needs to make an example of these kids, that this behaviour will not be tolerated and will result in serious consequences."

'Violence is completely unacceptable'

Brezina said the attack happened on school property. CBC News has not identified the school because it could identify the students involved in the alleged assault.

In a statement, the school board said it is investigating what happened.

"We want our schools to be safe spaces for all of our students. Violence is completely unacceptable and we will not tolerate it. While we cannot comment on individual cases of student discipline, in situations such as these we typically begin investigations and expulsion procedures," the school board said in a statement sent to CBC News by spokesperson Lynsey Slupeiks.

Staff at the high school "worked closely with our partners at Waterloo Regional Police Service to address the situation."

Brezina said police are investigating the case. Her son has not yet returned to school "and will remain at home until I have assurance it is going to be safe for him to do so."

Police investigating

Two youth have been charged in the case, police spokesperson Cherri Greeno said Friday.

"Currently, we have one male youth and one female youth who have been charged with robbery and conspiracy to commit assault. The male youth is also charged with assault," she said.

Greeno said school staff intervened during the assault.

The investigation is ongoing, officers are interviewing witnesses to determine exactly what happened and who was involved "and our officers are anticipating other arrests," she said.