BELLINGHAM, WA – On October 22, a group of students targeted and attacked a transgender student from Bellingham High School in a disturbing act of violence. The attack, now under investigation by Bellingham Police, took place just down the street from the high school and was recorded and circulated on social media. Authorities are considering both assault and hate crime charges due to the anti-trans slurs shouted at the victim during the beating.
The victim’s mother, Alyssa Ruben, recounts the traumatic event with deep frustration toward the school and district’s response. Her 16-year-old child, who sustained facial cuts, bruises, and ongoing headaches from the assault, was forced to run back to the school for refuge. Despite the severity of the attack, Ruben claims that school officials delayed contacting emergency services until she arrived and insisted they call 911. “I shouldn’t have had to ask,” Ruben said, expressing anger over what she calls a failure in the school’s duty of care. “They didn’t call until between 30 to 45 minutes after I even got there, and I had to insist multiple times.”
Growing Concerns and the Role of Social Media
Unsettlingly, one of the attackers posted a video of the attack on Instagram shortly after the incident. This brief but brutal footage showed Ruben’s child being punched, thrown against a tree, and kicked in the head, all while being taunted with transphobic slurs. It was this video that allowed police to identify the attackers, confirming the hateful motivations behind the assault.
Lance Preston, executive director of the Rainbow Youth Project, a nonprofit organization providing support for LGBTQ+ youth, has stepped in to help the family. He calls the video “horrific,” describing the attack as “inhumane and devastating” to witness. Preston believes the incident underscores the need for school districts to actively protect LGBTQ+ students from targeted violence. “If we let incidents like this slide, we’re telling these young people it’s acceptable. It leaves victims feeling worthless, as if they don’t matter,” he said.
According to Preston, the Rainbow Youth Project handled nearly 3,750 crisis interventions nationwide in October alone, underscoring the alarming prevalence of bullying and hate crimes faced by LGBTQ+ youth in the U.S. Today, 84% of queer students report experiencing bullying in school, with nearly one-third having faced physical assaults. For Preston and advocates like him, these statistics demand swift and comprehensive responses from school districts, not only to support victims but to prevent future incidents.
A Distrust in the System
Other families and allies in the community, many of whom believe that the school district has consistently fallen short when it comes to protecting its students from harassment and discrimination, share Ruben’s frustration with the school’s response. This is not Ruben’s first experience with bullying in the district; her older child also faced similar challenges during their time at Bellingham High. Now, after watching her child endure a violent assault, she is committed to pushing for policy changes to protect queer students.
“We have LGBTQ+ kids in that high school who are not out and who will never be comfortable reporting bullying,” said Preston. “They believe the administration doesn’t care.”
The district’s policies promise protection and a safe learning environment, but families feel those policies are not being upheld. Despite statements from Bellingham Public Schools expressing concern over the attack and a commitment to cooperating with the police investigation, some parents, including Ruben, remain skeptical. “They need to deal with the bullying in the district and punish these children,” Ruben insists, calling on the school to take a harder line in cases of hate-based violence.
A Call for Accountability and Transparency
The Bellingham Police Department, meanwhile, is handling the criminal investigation with what Ruben describes as “tenacity.” The department has stated that the case is ongoing and will pursue felony assault and hate crime charges against the students involved. Detective Megan Peters from Bellingham PD confirmed that they are working closely with witnesses and the school district to gather as much evidence as possible, noting that the investigation is taking a priority given the potential hate-crime motivations.
For its part, Bellingham High School Principal Martin Atkins stated that student safety is the school’s highest priority. However, he noted that privacy concerns prevent the school from discussing specific disciplinary actions or the identities of those involved in the attack. “Our mission is to provide a safe and inclusive environment where all students can thrive, and we are actively working with law enforcement to address this situation comprehensively,” Atkins said.
Yet, many feel this statement is not enough, especially given the rising tensions surrounding LGBTQ+ rights and protections in the U.S. Transgender students, their families, and allies worry that incidents like these will only increase, particularly following the re-election of former President Donald Trump, whose administration previously rolled back protections for transgender students. With hate crimes against LGBTQ+ individuals on the rise, advocacy groups warn that this political climate may embolden bullies and fuel further discrimination in schools.
Systemic Issues in School Policy and Protection
Ruben is now working with the Rainbow Youth Project to press the district for stronger protections and systemic changes that will prevent future attacks on marginalized students. “This is not an isolated incident,” she said, highlighting recent lawsuits against the district from families of students who suffered from severe bullying and harassment. In one case, the family of an elementary student sued the district after their child endured repeated assaults on a school bus.
According to a statement from the district, Bellingham Public Schools has policies in place to address student safety, bullying, and hate speech, with a dedicated Safety Tip Line for anonymous reporting. However, Ruben and others argue that the existing measures are insufficient, calling instead for active intervention and greater transparency in handling reports of harassment and assault.
While the district claims it adheres to legal requirements and policies on discrimination, parents like Ruben feel left in the dark, without clear answers on how the school is addressing hate-based violence within its halls. As long as privacy laws like the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) restrict schools from sharing details on disciplinary actions, many parents fear their calls for justice will go unheard.
The Bottom Line
For now, Ruben’s family is focused on healing. Her child continues to struggle with physical symptoms of the attack, including frequent headaches, dizziness, and memory loss, which have led them to drop out of extracurricular activities. The family plans to visit Seattle Children’s Hospital for further evaluations, hoping to rule out traumatic brain injury.
“This will haunt me for the rest of my life,” Ruben admitted, choking back tears. “But I’ll keep going. I have to. I’ll fight for my children and for all the kids in this district.”
In a post that has now reached over 318,000 views on TikTok, Ruben shared her heartbreak and frustration, receiving an outpouring of support from families, allies, and LGBTQ+ advocates across the country. As incidents like these continue to make headlines, the message from these communities is clear: every student deserves to feel safe, valued, and respected in their schools, free from the threat of violence or discrimination.
For Ruben and her family, this battle for justice is about more than just her child—it’s about protecting all transgender and queer students, ensuring that schools uphold their commitments to provide a safe and inclusive space for everyone.
