2 juveniles face charges after video circulates of alleged assault at Wheaton Warrenville South High School

WHEATON, Ill. - There was outrage in the western suburbs Wednesday night after a student was allegedly brutally beaten inside a bathroom at Wheaton Warrenville South High School last month.

Two juveniles are now facing charges in connection to the beating.

At about 11:43 a.m. on Feb. 28, the School Resource Officer (SRO) at Wheaton Warrenville South High School was alerted about a potential medical emergency involving a male student in the building's commons area, police said.

The SRO concluded that the student had reportedly engaged in a physical altercation with at least one other male student. School nurses assisted the student, and the SRO called Wheaton Fire Department paramedics for further assistance. Subsequently, the student was taken to a nearby hospital for assessment and medical treatment.

Around 12:30 p.m. that same day, authorities identified another male juvenile student who was reportedly involved in the altercation. A student recorded a portion of the incident on a cell phone video and later handed it over to both the police and school administration.

The Wheaton Police Department investigated the incident and has been in communication with the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office. 

After reviewing the incident, two male juveniles are now facing charges of aggravated battery on public property. As a result, the juveniles have not resumed attending school and are set to appear in Juvenile Court on Thursday.

"The life, health, and safety of the students in our schools remain a top priority," Wheaton Police Chief Princeton J. Youker said. "The Wheaton Police Department supports criminal charges for any individuals who commit acts of violence in our community to hold them accountable." 

The video of the incident has now circulated on social media and shows the two accused teens pummeling another teen who is already on the ground.

The video then shows students pulling his limp body out of the bathroom to get help.

Since this video has come to light, the school district has sent out four different statements with the latest one saying they are adding more security measures including:

• A dedicated staff member will monitor each of the bathrooms during the school day.
• No more than three students will be allowed in the bathroom at a time.
• No more than one student is permitted out of a classroom at the same time.
• Students will be issued a hall pass that must be signed by a staff member indicating the destination and the time they left class.

There is a school board meeting at the high school next Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Dr. Jeff Schuler, the Superintendent of Schools, released the following statement on Thursday:

"As you may be aware there are two videos that have recently gone viral regarding a physical altercation between students at Wheaton Warrenville South High School (WWS) last week. This incident has caused many parents, students and community members to become concerned about student safety in our buildings. We do not condone the actions reflected in this fight as it does not represent the expectations we have for students in District 200 schools.

We have received a lot of questions regarding the investigation and disciplinary and legal actions surrounding this incident. The Wheaton Police Department has released this statement regarding their investigation. Additionally, there are rumors circulating about discipline related to this incident that are false. I want you to know that any time there is a safety concern or student misconduct, we, along with local law enforcement, thoroughly investigate the incident and take necessary disciplinary action to the full extent outlined in our student handbook.

While we cannot provide additional information on this incident due to the ongoing investigation and student privacy, I want to be clear in stressing that the safety and security of students, staff and the entire community is always our top priority and is the basis for every decision we make. As a District, we take a multi-faceted approach to school safety which includes but is not limited to supporting the mental health of our students; reviewing student discipline with a district support team; secure school entrances; and maintaining strong, working relationships with first responders. While we have many daily security measures in place at all District 200 buildings, additional security measures at WWS have been added.

We want to thank the many parents and community members who have reached out to us to share your concerns regarding this incident and overall student safety. We are committed to continuing an open dialogue with our community to ensure we are a school district where students feel welcome and safe."