A brutal tag-team Assault at an inner city High School in Kansas City, Missouri September 19 left a teenager in the hospital and his ex-girlfriend and her father in jail on felony assault charges. Ruskin High School officials, while noting that their primary mission is to keep children safe while they are being educated, said Josiah Wright, 38, was on the campus legally and followed the school district's rules when he came to see his daughter, at least until he began assaulting her ex-boyfriend.
Wright told police he came to help his daughter, Jonay Wright, 17, pick up her school schedule and planned to eat lunch with her.
While they were in the student services area, they spotted her ex-boyfriend. According to the probable cause statement from Kansas City police investigators, once they left the area Jonay Wright received a "threatening text message" from the ex-boyfriend.
Witnesses: Daughter continued beating of ex-boyfriend
The Wrights returned to the student service area. Witnesses told police Wright pulled the boy off his chair and slammed him to the floor, shouting, "You threatened to kill my daughter." and stomped on his head twice. When a bystander grabbed Wright and pulled him away from the unconscious boy, Jonay Wright continued the attack, according to the probable cause statement. Witnesses said Jonay Wright continued kicking the boy in the chest and in the groin until bystanders pulled her away from the victim.
Josiah Wright offered police a different version of the story. Wright acknowledged he pulled the boy away from his chair and threw him to the ground, but he only did so as a favor to his daughter so she could have a crack at him. Wright denied that he had stomped on the boy's head and knocked him unconscious.
Preliminary hearing set for father, daughter on felony assault charges
Serious problems between the former couple led to the beating, the girl's grandparents told KMBC-TV, claiming the boy had become violent with their granddaughter while the two were dating. Online court records indicate Josiah Wright also has a history of violence, with two protection orders filed against him in recent years.
The victim was taken to the hospital with a possible brain bleed and swelling, severe cuts around the right eye, swelling and bruising to the entire head and bleeding from his ear.
October 5 preliminary hearings have been scheduled in Jackson County Circuit Court for Josiah and Jonay Wright. Online Jackson County Circuit Court records show Josiah Wright is being held in lieu of $100,000 bond, while Jonay Wright's bond has been set at $30,000.
