British Columbia

Video showing bullying incident at Surrey school prompts RCMP investigation

Surrey RCMP are investigating after a video appeared online showing a student being told to kneel and kiss another student's shoes.

Students involved have been suspended but will not face criminal charges

The principal of Fraser Heights secondary, Rick Breen, said in a written statement that the school informed the police as soon as they learned of the incident, and the school and school district are also investigating. (CBC)

Surrey RCMP are investigating after a video appeared online showing a student being told to kneel and kiss another student's shoes.

Some of the students involved have now been suspended, but will not be facing criminal charges.

The father of the 14-year-old student, who CBC is not naming to protect the student's identity, said that on Friday there was an altercation between two groups of young people, and that his son was dragged into a fight.

"He thought it was just a scuffle, and then at lunch on Monday he was approached by one of his classmates and was asked to talk about it. He was led off into the forest where 10 or 12 people were waiting for him," the father said.

The video shows several boys in a wooded area, standing around one boy, who is on his knees and being told to kiss another boy's shoe. One boy standing behind him opens his backpack and rifles through it.

The boy on his knees bends down to kiss the shoe of one boy, who appears to try to kick him in the face.

The boy's father saw the video after it was circulated on social media.

"I was enraged, it blew me away. Obviously my son didn't want to talk about it, he wasn't feeling good about it. He didn't know there was a video," he said.

"There are things that are uncomfortable for anybody to think about when their kid is in school."

The father went to the school, then the police.

"Everyone wants their kids to be safe at school. That's a given," he said.

School responds

He said the other boys involved in the altercation appear to range from 14 to 16 years of age.

The principal of Fraser Heights secondary, Rick Breen, said in a written statement that the school informed police as soon as they learned of the incident, and the school and school district are also investigating.

Breen also wrote that an "airsoft" pistol was found in the bushes by staff on Friday, and that police were called to retrieve it.

Students won't return to school

On Wednesday Surrey RCMP said in a written statement that their youth unit had investigated and identified the involved parties.

"Together, with their parents, participants have agreed to further deal with these matters by way of alternate measures under the Youth and Criminal Justice Act, through the Surrey School District Safe Schools programs and by the Surrey RCMP's Restorative Justice and Youth Intervention programs," the statement read in part.

Insp. Wendy Mehat, community support and safety officer, said in the statement that the program "supports our youth by providing alternative measures to address their actions instead of the formal court process and criminal justice system."

None of the students involved in the bullying incident will return to Fraser Heights this school year and an alternative education program has been put in place for them.

Anyone with information which may assist with this investigation is asked to call Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502 or contact Crime Stoppers if you wish to remain anonymous, at 1-800-222-8477 or www.solvecrime.ca.