Folsom Middle student back at school as alleged bully transfers after assault, officials say

A Folsom Middle School student who was bullied and assaulted by a classmate on a field trip has returned to campus as the alleged perpetrator voluntarily switched schools, according to the attorney for the victim’s family.

The 12-year-old boy, Titus White, spent three days in the hospital with brain bleeding after one of his classmates allegedly made racist comments toward him and pushed him, causing him to hit his head on a metal pole during a field trip, the Sacramento chapter of the NAACP said last week. The incident happened Nov. 2.

In a statement last Thursday to media, Folsom Cordova Unified School District spokesman Daniel Thigpen said “the student who committed the offense … will not be returning to Folsom Middle School.”

FCUSD’s statement says that the incident carried “severe consequences” but cited juvenile confidentiality and did not identify the student or his new school, or specify whether he transferred or was expelled.

However, family attorney Justin Ward said the student was not expelled.

“Currently, he’s back in school and the offender has transferred to another middle school,” Ward said. “It appears he transferred voluntarily … But we know there was no expulsion hearing. We know he was not expelled, because we were told that.”

Ward said the student transferred Wednesday or Thursday of last week, and that Titus returned to school Friday.

“I would definitely say the student body, for the most part, has welcomed him back with open arms,” Ward said. “He had a good first day back.”

The incident is not in a litigation phase, Ward pointed out, and the family is seeking monetary compensation from the alleged offender’s family for Titus’ medical bills, as well as pain and suffering.

Ward says no lawsuit is being filed at this time, and that the family would not decide whether to pursue legal action against FCUSD until the third-party investigation concludes.

The alleged incident happened during a field trip at the Sacramento State campus.

Sacramento State police Chief Mark Iwasa said the department completed its criminal investigation last week and sent it to the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office.

“We’ve been informed charges will be filed if they have not already been,” Ward said Monday.

With the incident involving minors, the DA’s office can disclose filing information only to the victims and their legal representation, Ward said.

The president of NAACP Sacramento, Betty Williams, has called the incident a hate crime. Williams told The Bee last week that the alleged bully also called White the N-word and mocked his hair.

This story was originally published December 10, 2018 at 2:24 PM.