West Valley fighting videos: 'He was pounding on my temples. He broke my nose.'
YAKIMA, Wash.-- A case of extreme bullying that seems like a scene out of the movie "Fight Club" is happening among students in West Valley. Videos of fights have been posted on YouTube for years.
"He was pounding on my temples," Mike said. "He broke my nose."
Mike describes what it was like to get beaten up in the video. Julie Kramer saw it for the first time last week after a school counselor told her that her son was in a fight posted on YouTube.
"I'm angry," Kramer said. "My son got a broken nose and a concussion from this."
In this case, several West Valley High School students watched the fight at a nearby creek. Mike, as we're calling him, blames the beating he took on peer pressure.
"They wouldn't let me go," he said. "They kept on circling me around."
Bystanders stood and laughed. At one point, Mike was on the ground unable to do anything and the crowd called for more.
They said "don't stop, don't stop".
"Every time I took a step, I kept on slipping," Mike said.
It turns out, Mike is far from alone. For more than two years, a YouTube user with the name "WVFights" has uploaded more than 40 fighting videos that have received almost 30,000 views.
A statement from YouTube given to KIMA indicates videos like this are against the rules. It says any video of kids fighting that gets flagged will be removed. YouTube was notified about the video and flagged it, but didn't remove it. It was given an age restriction requiring you to be at least 18 to watch it.
KIMA told YouTube the kids were minors. They asked for the link and removed the videos and the account all together.
The account has been suspended for severe violations of YouTube's policy on violence. Two years too late some might say. But, will it stop the fighting where kids like Mike get caught in the middle?
KIMA also wanted to know if anything's being done by the West Valley School District to stop the fighting. Administrators say they didn't know about the problem until this most recent video. They don't have jurisdiction over trouble off-campus. They can only report it to police.
"He was pounding on my temples," Mike said. "He broke my nose."
Mike describes what it was like to get beaten up in the video. Julie Kramer saw it for the first time last week after a school counselor told her that her son was in a fight posted on YouTube.
"I'm angry," Kramer said. "My son got a broken nose and a concussion from this."
In this case, several West Valley High School students watched the fight at a nearby creek. Mike, as we're calling him, blames the beating he took on peer pressure.
"They wouldn't let me go," he said. "They kept on circling me around."
Bystanders stood and laughed. At one point, Mike was on the ground unable to do anything and the crowd called for more.
They said "don't stop, don't stop".
"Every time I took a step, I kept on slipping," Mike said.
It turns out, Mike is far from alone. For more than two years, a YouTube user with the name "WVFights" has uploaded more than 40 fighting videos that have received almost 30,000 views.
A statement from YouTube given to KIMA indicates videos like this are against the rules. It says any video of kids fighting that gets flagged will be removed. YouTube was notified about the video and flagged it, but didn't remove it. It was given an age restriction requiring you to be at least 18 to watch it.
KIMA told YouTube the kids were minors. They asked for the link and removed the videos and the account all together.
The account has been suspended for severe violations of YouTube's policy on violence. Two years too late some might say. But, will it stop the fighting where kids like Mike get caught in the middle?
KIMA also wanted to know if anything's being done by the West Valley School District to stop the fighting. Administrators say they didn't know about the problem until this most recent video. They don't have jurisdiction over trouble off-campus. They can only report it to police.
WELL YOU KNOW WHAT THEY DO KNOW ABOUT IT BECAUSE I HAVE CALLED SEVERAL TIMES TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. SO THEY CAN'T SAY THEY DON'T KNOW!! THEY WERE EVEN NOTIFIED TWO DAYS AGO, FRIDAY ABOUT ANOTHER FIGHT. I HAVE A CHILD THAT GOES TO THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND PERSONALLY I AM SICK OF THE KIDS WALKING THROUGH THE CREEK THAT DON'T LIVE AROUND HERE IT IS GETTINGÂ RIDICULOUS. Â WEST VALLEY DOESN'T SEEM TO WANT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT, THEYÂ WOULD RATHER WORRY ABOUT FUNDING THE LOCAL FRIDAY NIGHT BASKETBALL GAME OR THE FOOTBALL GAMES, Â SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE THEN WORRY ABOUT GETTING UP AND TAKING A STAND AGAINST THIS. THEY NEED TO NOT SIT BACK AND ACT LIKE THEY DIDN'T KNOW BECAUSE THEY DO K NOW WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?? LET SEE SOME ACTION BEFORE ONE OF THESE KIDS GETS REALLY HURT AND THEN YOU CAN'T ACT LIKE THEY DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT. IF YOU REQUIRE THESE KIDS TO WALK TO AND FROM SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY LIVE IN A NO BUS AREA THEN I FEEL YOU SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO HELP KEEP THEM SAFE. I AM FED UP THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. Â I Â LIVE IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD AND MYSELF AND A LOT OF OTHERS ARE REALLY SICK OF IT. ALSO PARENTS WHERE ARE YOU IF YOU ARE AT WORK GET Â INVOLVED I HOPE WHOM EVER CHILD IS POSTING THIS GETS IN BIG TROUBLE ITS NOT FUNNY AND THEY SHOULD BE PROSECUTED MAYBE THEN IT WILL STOP Â WHEN THE Â PARENTS HAVE TO PAY FINES FOR THERE KIDS ACTIONS.Â
Kids report bulling, only to be told; There is nothing (the school) can do about it!! Sad, if you ask me!!
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He wasn't forced ether if he wasn't talking like that it wouldn't have happened he wasn't fighting like he was trying to get away
@Ellll__Guapo for real
That kid gets beat up because he is racist and picks fights with the wrong people he's not the innocent one
IF that's the "PROBLEM" then REPORT it to the SCHOOL, the POLCE, or BETTER YET , JUST STAY AWAY FROM HIM or IGNORE, but I think it's time for US parents to START a BLOICK-WATCH @ the CREEK, !!! I'm in. SEE you kid's MONDAY !!! HAVE A NICE DAY!!!
if those kids parents were worth anything their kids wouldn't even be there. crap parents make for crap kids which make for criminals and druggies.
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@Ms. Fed Up In YakimaGood Luck 100's of kids walk through there every day.
@Anonymous @Ms. Fed Up In Yakima No worries ..they obviously are not not working with brains ; )
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@numero uno
over the last few years a law was passed about bullying. You kids may think its funny now its only going to get worse for you.
Bullying is a a lot of things wait! Maybe you should read this if you can Read English http://www.stopbullying.gov/laws/index.html