Transgender teenager thought he was 'dying' when other high school students beat him up at a party

GLOUCESTER, Mass. (AP) — A transgender Massachusetts teenager is recovering after he was allegedly punched, kicked and stomped by other high school students at a party.

Jayden Tkaczyk, 16, said he was at an outdoor party in Gloucester on Friday night when about a dozen teenagers attacked him, shouting homophobic slurs at him. They chased Tkaczyk into the woods, where police found him. He said he was taken to a local hospital and treated for his injuries, which included a broken bone under his right eye and scratches and bruises on his body.

“I was scared, but I thought if I escaped and got out, everything would be better,” Tkaczyk told The Associated Press. “When I got hit, it was horrible. I thought I was going to die, but I tried to stay positive.”

Tkaczyk's mother, Jasmine, said she was horrified when she got the call that her son was in the hospital.

“That was my worst fear for Jayden. As a mother of a transgender child, that's my worst fear for him,” she said of the attack. “Getting that call was one of the most horrific things I've ever experienced. Having to go to the hospital to see him in that condition. When I got the call, I just prayed that he was alive.”

The Essex County District Attorney's Office said it is “aware of the serious allegations” and is working with Gloucester police on this “active and ongoing investigation involving minors.”

The government declined to comment further, including on whether anyone had been arrested.

Tkaczyk, who said he has been afraid to leave his house since the attack, expressed hope that the youths would be held accountable.

“Nobody was arrested. Nobody was charged and nothing happened to the kids who caused this,” he said. “If the people or the city want to make this city better, then they should start taking steps to make their community safer.”

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell said MassEquality, an LGBTQ+ rights advocacy group, has contacted the family and they and others have contacted her civil rights division and children's rights unit.

Campbell said her office is actively investigating the complaint.

“What we've heard is horrific to say the least, but as with any investigation, we do it carefully, we do it in partnership with the community and the constituents, and that's not going to change here,” she said. “So we're going to do what we can to investigate this quickly and thoroughly.”

Tkaczyk, who attends a vocational school, said he has long been bullied for being transgender, including being pushed off the Gloucester High School football team. He said the district has done nothing to address his complaints about bullying in the past, but he hopes that will change now.

“There are more and more reports of bullying from kids who are bullying me not only mentally but physically,” Tkaczyk said. “I've been bullied for 11 years. … It's been a horrible and hard struggle for me and I don't tell anyone how bad it really is.”

Ben Lummis, superintendent of Gloucester Public Schools, said at a news conference Tuesday that the district is taking the allegations seriously. However, the district did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

James Cook, principal of Gloucester High School, sent a letter to the school community on Tuesday informing them of the weekend attack and advising children “struggling with news of this incident” or anyone who “feels unsafe for any reason” to contact a school staff member.

“Creating a safe and inclusive environment that supports all of our students, staff and families is our top priority,” Cook wrote. “While it is difficult to deliver this message on the night before our first day, I am confident that our staff will come together to welcome all students back to GHS.”

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This story has been updated to correct Jayden (not Jordan) in the fifth paragraph.

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Associated Press writer Steve LeBlanc in Boston contributed to this report.

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