Gilroy parent says daughter was violently attacked in Christopher High classroom; family demands transparency

Myra Adams, a parent, told the Gilroy Unified School District board on June 13 that her daughter, a Christopher High sophomore, was “blindly attacked from behind” in an English classroom on May 17 and suffered multiple blows to her head and neck that left her bruised and emotionally shaken. Adams said students recorded and shared video of the attack online and that Christopher High staff characterized the incident as “typical girl drama.”

“She did not let go and simultaneously violently beat her head with her other closed fist,” Adams said, describing about 10 hits to her daughter’s head and neck. She said the school issued a four‑day suspension to the aggressor but that no arrest was made and, in her view, no meaningful investigation followed.

Adams told the board the school took her daughter’s phone and did not give her a chance to call a parent; she said the handling left the student “extremely emotional, vulnerable and alone” and that her daughter now feels unsafe returning to campus.

Robert Sepeda, a community member who spoke in public comment later in the meeting, said he has repeatedly urged the district for greater transparency about incidents at local schools and referenced other recent violent episodes, including a reported stabbing near Christopher High. Sepeda said the district has been “very quiet” and asked the board to place a school‑transparency resolution on a future agenda.

District staff reported actions taken in closed session earlier in the night that involved student discipline: the board said it voted to readmit six students (a vote reported as six in favor) and accepted an administrative hearing panel recommendation not to admit a different student in a separate case. The board also voted on a separate expulsion action and on a subsequent motion to suspend that expulsion; both motions carried.

The exchange at the June 13 meeting reflects parents’ ongoing concerns about student safety and disciplinary transparency at district high schools. Adams said she will be consulting an attorney if the district does not revisit the handling of her daughter’s case and pursue a fuller investigative response. The district did not provide further comment beyond the closed‑session report during the meeting; the board did not vote on any new safety policy that night.

Next steps: Adams asked the district to reopen the incident, review discipline decisions and change its approach. Trustees did not announce specific follow‑up steps at the meeting beyond the closed‑session actions already reported.