Black Teenager with Special Needs Allegedly Assaulted by Five White Students In Hate Crime, Mother Claims

A mother claims that her 17-year-old son with special needs was involved in a hate crime after five white students allegedly assaulted him.

Hattie Williams told KTRK that her son attends Memorial High School in Houston, Texas, and was allegedly lured off of campus and beaten by five white students who also attend the high school. Her son, who is black, suffered a concussion from the fight, according to the news station.

"They had an altercation and some words were exchanged, and it got out of hand and that's when the physical altercation happened," Williams told the news station.

During a press conference this week, Williams and local activist Quannell X told reporters that before the teen was jumped, he allegedly received messages on social media with racial threats, KPRC-TV reported. Quanell X, who obtained a screenshot of the threats, said the students allegedly sent the teen "black man hanging from a tree, I'll hang your ass, on the spot."

Newsweek has reached out to Spring Branch Independent School District for comment but did not hear back in time for publication. In a statement to KTRK, the district confirmed the altercation and said they were cooperating with federal authorities.

"On Feb. 8, Memorial High School experienced a substantial disruption of the school environment due to social media posts which frightened many students and parents. The campus has and will continue to respond to the situation according to the requirements of state and federal law and the SBISD student code of conduct," the statement read. "The District reported the information received to the FBI and is collaborating with the FBI on this matter. The District must protect the confidentiality of all students and this situation is no different, so the District is not able to respond with facts to set the record straight about all the circumstances."

"One student posted, 'What's good little [expletive] talk [expletive] get ganged,'" said Quanell X, according to KPRC-TV. "'Once we kill him, we'll throw him off a top.' Look at this, they're talking about killing this kid and what they would do with his body after they killed the kid."

Quanell X told the KPRC-TV that he blames the school administrators at the Spring Branch Independent School District because the teens who attacked Williams's son were not disciplined and the district did nothing to protect him. The teen was also placed in in-school suspension because of the altercation, the activist claimed.

"One black kid lured across the street and jumped by at least five white boys. We know for a fact three of them are still in school till this day and two others were allowed to transfer," Quanell X said. "They have separated her son, put him in ISS (in-school suspension) for the fight. The only black kid that was jumped by five white kids, he's in ISS. None of them are in ISS, not one."