Video of Kentucky student bullied in bathroom goes viral as police investigation begins

The Laurel County School District’s police department is investigating a video that appeared to show a bullying incident in a North Laurel High School bathroom last week, district officials said Monday.

A video circulating on social media shows one male student hitting another on the back as other students stand by. One copy of the video posted on Facebook had 24,000 views as of Monday

District officials said they began an investigation Feb. 27, and they “prioritize student safety.”

“Due to federal student privacy laws, no further details can be shared,” Laurel County school officials said in a statement. “We ask the community to respect the privacy of the students and families involved as we work to resolve the matter.”

Superintendent Denise Griebel did not immediately answer additional questions.

London Mayor Raymond Weddle said in a Facebook post Sunday he had attended an event called Trucks Against Bullying to support the student.

“My heart continues to go out to him and to every family that has been impacted by bullying,” Weddle said. “Let me be clear: we must end bullying and we must do it now.”

Weddle didn’t provide more details about the incident, but he also posted to Facebook Feb. 28 about a bullying incident.

“While I do not have authority over the school system, I will be reaching out to school officials to share the concerns that have been voiced to me by our citizens,” Weddle said in the earlier post. “I truly believe our school officials will not tolerate this behavior.”

Weddle also said he has been pushing for a local ordinance against bullying.