Eighth Grader "T"

T is an 8th grader in Queens. One day in March 2012 she was walking outside from lunch, and another girl, R, confronted her about an earlier incident that had occurred between R and T's aunt. R testified that she initiated the altercation, and started throwing punches at T, grabbed her by the hair, and kicked her in the face. T had bruises on her face and had to go to the doctor. R's only injuries were to her hands, from punching T. Both girls were arrested and suspended; the infraction code was B37. Not once did the school attempt to schedule any kind of mediation or guidance intervention between the two girls, despite the fact that they were on notice that T had been repeatedly bullied by R. In addition, T had never even had a detention before, let alone a Principal's or Superintendent's suspension, yet the school chose to suspend her for this incident.