West Cook News

The Village of Western Springs Police say they are starting to investigate the brutal in-school attack by student Heavyn Washington, caught on video. But five days after the incident, they have yet to file criminal charges.

That's because Western Springs Police Chief Brian Budds says he was out of the office last week and unable to work on the case.

“I was actually out of town last week,” Buddy told West Cook News. “My normal PIO (public information officer) was also out of the office on a leave.”

A parent of the victim told West Cook News the family's lawyer had contacted the police twice but had not heard back as of Monday morning.

Lyons Township students told West Cook News that Heavyn, an outspoken sophomore, "concocted a story that the victim was singing a rap song in the bathroom so she could have a reason to beat her up.”

A Lyons Township parent who asked not to be named said the delay is “outrageous."

"Had the victim been black and the assailant white, criminal felony charges would have been filed the next day," they said. "(U.S. Attorney General) Merrick Garland and Jesse Jackson would already be here holding a press conference with the school principal and superintendent.”

In Skokie, where a student was jumped and severely beaten at Niles West High School, police charged three assailants within a day. 

Assistant Principal was warned of Washington attack 

Sources say Washington assaulted the victim, a freshman, two weeks earlier in the school hallway, knocking her phone out of her hand and telling her she was going to beat her up. School officials learned of the assault. 

But police charged Washington with "disorderly conduct" rather than assault, sources say.

Earlier in the day on Wed. April 27, the day of the attack, sources say a “member of Heavyn’s gang” went to the freshman lunchroom to warned a friend of the victim that "Heavyn is going to beat (the victim) up today.”

Lyons Township has two campuses, one for freshmen and sophomores and the other for upperclassmen.

The victim went to Assistant Principal Adam Davis and told him about the warning. He sent her back to class, and she was attacked and battered by Washington the next period.

Sources say Washington and one of her accomplices, a male student still unnamed who recorded the attack on his phone, ditched class to wait for the victim. As seen in the video, they were waiting when she walked out of her classroom.

No teachers were present during the attack.

"Heavyn wanted someone white to go after and she picked this poor freshman girl," a student told West Cook News. "She made up the story that the girl was 'racist' and spread it around the school to torment her. She admitted she made (the story) up to friends.”

After the attack, two teachers walked the victim to the nurse's office where they called her parents to pick her up.

Sources tell West Cook News the school didn't call an ambulance; her father took her to the emergency room, where she was treated for a concussion and other injuries.

Students told West Cook News that they had heard late Friday that Washington had been expelled. But sources say school board members want to weigh in on the matter, and perhaps make the decision themselves.

See video of the beating here.