13-year-old breaks sternum while being bullied by another student in gym class, parents say

BEDFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WTVG/Gray News) – A 13-year-old boy suffered a broken sternum when he was slammed to the ground by another student at school in what his parents believe was an act of bullying.

The attack, which was caught on surveillance video, happened last week at Bedford Junior High School in Michigan.

Joshua and Desaray Hunt said that when they picked up their son from school, he said he was having chest pain and was struggling to breathe.

After a visit to the emergency room, they discovered he had a fractured sternum.

According to a report from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, school surveillance video shows a group of boys standing around during gym class while the teacher takes attendance.

The video reportedly shows one of the boys put another in a headlock and slam him to the floor. The report notes that the victim was not fighting back.

The video goes on for nearly three minutes.

“My son being put in a headlock and slammed to the ground, it’s something no parent should ever have to watch,” Desaray Hunt said through tears.

The report also said two gym teachers were in the area but did not seem to be aware that anything was going on.

The Hunts are questioning why a teacher didn’t see it happen and step in.

“How? Just how did this happen? How did the severity of this happen?” Desaray Hunt said.

“I send my son to school every day to be in a safe environment, for learning,” Joshua Hunt said. “Nothing about that day was safe for my son.”

The Hunts say it’s not the first time their son has been picked on. They said they’ve reported multiple bullying incidents to the district.

“Every school is going to have bullying,” Desaray Hunt said. “Kids are going to be kids, but if you know there’s problems, you need to try and address them differently if the current way isn’t working.”

Bedford Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Carl Schultz sent the following statement to WTVG:

“Bedford Public Schools istration and staff prioritize the safety and security of our students. On May 29, 2025, Bedford Junior High School istration was made aware of an incident that took place during a scheduled physical education class inside the gymnasium. The incident involved several students, one of whom sustained an injury. BJHS istration, along with our Monroe County Deputy School Resource Officer, immediately began an investigation into the incident. Upon completion of the investigation, appropriate school-related discipline action was taken, and a report was filed with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. BPS will continue to take these types of incidents seriously and will always act in accordance with school policies and local/state laws.”

Any criminal charges in this matter are currently being reviewed by the Monroe County Prosecutor.

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