In Brief

Staff Reports

15 Year Old Ross County, Ohio Boy Charged In Videotaped Beating

Union-Scioto High School

CHILLICOTHE, OHIO -- Unioto High School student Levi Sever, 15, was charged with felonious assault by the Office of Ross County Prosecutor Matthew Schmidt. Sever is accused of assaulting 15-year-old Zachary Huston at Unioto High last month with the victim's mother contending he was targeted because he is gay.

The beating, captured on video using a cell phone, and later posted to Facebook, shows the assailant grab the victim, stand over him and deliver at least seven punches in quick succession, the smacks audible on the video. The video was reportedly captured by the assailant’s cousin. According to Rebecca Collins, the victim’s mother, the student who attacked her son was given a three-day suspension for the fight. But it wasn’t until the video showed up on Facebook several days later that prompted her to urge school and police to investigate the attack further.

Union-Scioto schools Superintendent Dwight Garrett said his district has a zero-tolerance approach toward any form of harassment, including cyberbullying. He said the district’s policy complies with state anti-bullying law.

“We had a bad situation happen. We’re doing the best we can. We want all children to be protected. There’s a problem nationwide with things like this,” he said.

Huston's mother, Rebecca Collins, told investigators that she thinks the attack is “a hate crime” because her son is gay.

“When you’ve been tortured for two years, by people in your school, then there’s no doubt in my mind,” she told The Columbus Dispatch newspaper in an interview yesterday.