13-year-old at Deerfield Beach Middle School says he was verbally, physically abused for being gay – WPLG Local 10

DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. – Disturbing video shows a middle school student attacked and slammed to the ground by a group of older kids as others just watched.

The 13-year-old told Local 10 News that it’s been going on since last August, and it’s all because he is gay.

It was last Friday when the verbal abuse turned into physical abuse.

“Horrible, it’s been a living hell,” said 13-year-old Chad Sanford.

That’s how he will remember his 6th Grade year at Deerfield Beach Middle School.

In the video from last week, Chad can be seen surrounded by other kids when an 8th Grader comes up from behind Chad, picks him up and slams him to the ground.

It doesn’t end there as the physical abuse continues and homophobic slurs are hurled at the boy.

“He just stepped on my face, they were kicking and spitting on me and all that was a little clip of the video,” Chad said. “They were screaming. They were saying, ‘we got that gay fa***t.’”

Chad said he’s been bullied this entire school year all because of his sexual orientation.

“One day he embarrassed me in front of everybody,” Chad said of the bully. “He stood on top of the stage and said to me, ‘I’m going to knock the gay out of him.’”

Chad’s aunt Raquel Showers says her nephew always used to be happy, but his demeanor has changed this year, and when she saw the video, she was devastated.

“He wanted to kill himself because they keep bullying him,” she said. “Hearing that it just makes me cry.”

Local 10 News reached out to Broward County Public Schools and received a statement, which read, in part:

“School safety is our highest priority. The school’s leadership is taking this incident seriously and is working with law enforcement in its investigation. Any students involved will also face appropriate school disciplinary consequences in accordance with the code book for school conduct.”

It’s unclear if any student has been disciplined for this yet.

Broward Sheriff’s Office said no arrests have been made

Chad’s grandmother, who is his legal guardian, said she has pulled him from this school.

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