Videos from two different angles of a Sept. 11 altercation have been going viral this week, depicting an adult African American woman confronting a group of Carson High School students before spraying them with pepper spray. There was apparently an altercation between her daughter, who was standing behind her in the videos, and a student in the group. After the mom pepper sprayed the students, soon after, her daughter jumped one of the students. At least one other student attempted to join the fray to rescue their fellow student only to be pushed back and beaten by the mother.
The next day, a coalition of parents and community activists called for the public’s help in identifying an African American woman who pepper sprayed and assaulted the students on Sept. 11.
” The video of a grown woman pepper spraying and assaulting students was horrific. No adult should ever attack a child,” said community activist and director of Project Islamic Hope, Najee Ali. “We’re calling for the public’s help to identify this child beater and bring her to justice.”
He and his group of concerned parents said they met with the Dean of students at Carson High School and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Both have launched an investigation.
Ali thinks it’s likely the students provoked the attack but insists that the woman should have called the police to address the situation.
Further, he believes the LAUSD should invest in hiring safety ambassadors before and after school hours and known student hangout spots off-campus to enhance adult supervision.
A major disturbance involving hundreds of juveniles forced a busy shopping mall in Carson to close Saturday night.
This past July, more than 200 teens gathered at the SouthBay Pavilion Mall causing a major disturbance that resulted in a trash can being lit on fire and illegal fireworks set off inside a store at the mall. More than 70 teens were detained.
This incident isn’t the first time Ali stepped in looking for justice for children assaulted by adults.
Last year, the 13-year-old honor student, Kassidy Jones, was attacked at a McDonald’s in Lomita in an unprovoked assault captured on a smartphone video that quickly became viral.
Skipp Townsend, the executive director of 2nd Call believes that school districts like LA Unified should be investing in Safe Passage programs and personnel with the skill sets and life experiences to work as community and school ambassadors.
“The way I see it, they can in what we call safe passage, they can provide funding for safe passage for at least four individuals, that know the direction the kids should be going and know the hot spots to McDonald’s and In-and-out Burger, or whatever is in that area. You have to hire from that area,” Townsend said. “There should be a couple of people who could pass the Live Scan and go on campus and get word of who’s going to fight or get bullied. These are things that won’t come to security or school police. These are things that will come to community members.”
According to its mission statement, “2nd Call is a community-based organization designed to save lives by reducing violence and assisting in the personal development of high-risk individuals, proven offenders, ex-felons, parolees, and others who society disregards.”
Among the services 2nd Call provides, include:
- Safe Passage
- School Ambassadors
- Youth Diversion and Development
- Gang Intervention
- Community Intervention Training
- Homeless Support Services
- Job Readiness Life Skills Classes
- Trauma-Informed Healing Life Skills Classes
- Community Ambassadors
- Job Coordination
- Court-Ordered Classes: Batterers Intervention and Anger Management
- Alternative to 911/ Non-Emergency Response
- Violence Intervention Response (Credible Messenger)
- Referrals for Licensing, Substance Abuse, Housing, and Education
- Pre-Apprenticeship Programs to Union Trade Careers
Townsend admits he never had a contract with LAUSD, though he had secured contracts in other cities and school districts.
In June 2023, the school board unanimously passed District 7 board member Tonya Ortiz Franklin’s resolution to analyze and expand community-based safety and released the report in January 2024 with a $14 million budget. On paper, LA Unified is investing in Safe Passage pilot programs across the district.
In the meantime, educators, community leaders, and parents will just have to wait and see what comes of it. And send tips to the Carson Sheriff’s station on the identity of the pepper-spraying mom at Taco Bell.
Carson Sheriff’s Station
(310) 830-1123