Transgender teen in Mass. says other high schoolers beat him at a party

Gloucester, Mass. — A transgender teenager from Massachusetts is recovering after allegedly being punched, kicked and stomped upon by other high schoolers at a party. Sixteen-year-old Jayden Tkaczyk said he was at an outdoor party Friday night in Gloucester when as many as a dozen teenagers attacked him and called him homophobic slurs. They chased Tkaczyk into the woods, where police found him. He said he was taken to a local hospital and treated for his injuries, including a broken bone under his right eye and scratches and bruises on his body."I was scared, but I thought to myself that if I escape and I get out, that things will eventually get better," Tkaczyk told The Associated Press. "As I was getting hit, it was terrifying. I thought I was going to die, but I tried to keep a positive mindset."Tkaczyk's mother, Jasmine, said she was terrified when she got the call that her son was in the hospital."This was my worst fear for Jayden. This is been my biggest fear for him as a mom of a transgender kid," she said of him being assaulted. "Getting that phone call was one of the most terrifying things to experience. Having to go to the hospital to see him in that condition. When I got that call, I was just praying that he was alive."The Office of the Essex County District Attorney said it was "aware of the serious allegations" and was working with the Gloucester Police Department on what it called "this active and ongoing investigation involving juvenile parties." It would not comment further, including whether anyone has been arrested. Tkaczyk, who said he has been scared to leave his house since the attack, said he hopes the teens are held accountable."No one has been arrested. No one has been charged, and nothing has happened to the kids that caused this," he said. "If people or if the city wants to make this city better, then they should start taking action to help their community be safer."Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell said MassEquality, an LGBTQ+ rights and advocacy group, has been in touch with the family and that they and others have reached out to her civil rights division and children's justice unit.Campbell said her office is actively following up on the complaint."What we've heard is horrific to say the least, but like any investigation we do it thoughtfully, we do it in partnership with community and constituents, and that won't change here," she said. "So we'll do what we can to investigate this quickly and thoroughly."Tkaczyk, who goes to a vocational school, said he has long been bullied because he is transgender, including being forced off the Gloucester High School football team. He said the district in the past has done nothing to address his complaints about bullying but he hopes that changes now. "Bullying reports have been stacked up and stacked up and stacked up on kids bullying me not just mentally but physically," Tkaczyk said. "Over 11 years, I've been getting bullied. ... It's been a terrible and hard struggle for me, and I don't open up to anybody about how really bad it is."Gloucester Public Schools Superintendent Ben Lummis, at a press conference Tuesday, said the district is taking the allegations seriously. But the district did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.James Cook, the principal of Gloucester High School, sent a letter Tuesday to the school community advising them of the weekend attack and advising children "struggling with news of this incident" or anyone who "feels unsafe for any reason" to seek out a school staff member. "Creating a safe and inclusive environment that supports all of our students, staff, and families is our number one priority," Cook wrote. "Although this is a difficult message to send the night before our first day, I have confidence that our staff will come together to welcome all students back to GHS."Associated Press writer Steve LeBlanc in Boston contributed to this report.