Attack on trans teen being investigated as 'possible hate crime'
A trans teenager was allegedly assaulted by a large group of teens in Massachusetts, and police are investigating it as a possible hate crime.
Jayden Tkaczyk, 16, had been at an outdoor party in a wooded area in Gloucester Friday night when the alleged incident occurred.
His attorney, Craig Rourke, told ABC News the assailants "stomped on his head" and "called him the f-slur" during the attack.
"We view this as a hate crime," Rourke said. "The motives of the perpetrators seem pretty clear in their own words."
Jayden suffered a broken orbital, permanent nerve damage, a black eye and bruising to the legs and torso, Rourke said, and was treated at a hospital for his injuries. He has since been released.
The Gloucester Police Department said in a press release that the "parties involved in this incident are known to one another."
A detective trained in civil rights investigations had been assigned to lead the case, police said, and a spokesperson for the department confirmed to ABC News the incident is "being investigated as a possible hate crime."
"The investigation remains ongoing and no determination has been made at this stage," the police spokesperson said.
The teen has previously faced bullying for being trans, Rourke said.
Jayden, who attends a local vocational high school, joined the Gloucester High School football team last year but quit after only a few practices because the "bullying got so severe," according to Rourke.
Jayden told Boston ABC affiliate WCVB the attack began in "a blink of an eye."
"One second I was having fun, and the next second I was on the ground getting my face stomped and beat up," Jayden said.
"They were just saying the f-slur over and over and over and over as they were punching me and stomping me," he added.
His mother, Jasmine Tkaczyk, told WCVB she was "really, really angry" over the incident.
"Seeing the condition he was in, this has always been my worst fear as a mom of a trans teen," she said.
The Essex County District Attorney's Office told ABC News they were "aware of the serious allegations of an assault on a Gloucester teenager by other teens."
"The office is working in conjunction with the Gloucester Police Department on this active and ongoing investigation involving juvenile parties and as such we are unable to provide further commentary at this time," they added.
Gloucester Public Schools Superintendent Ben Lummis said in a statement that district and school leadership "understands the gravity of the recent allegations and are handling them with the highest level of concern."
The school district is "actively cooperating" with the police investigation, Lummis said.
"We are very early in what is likely to be a complicated investigation," Lummis said. "All decisions going forward will be based on the outcome of this thorough investigation."
Lummis said there were "many rumors and contradictory information circulating on social media" about the incident, and urged students and families "to give the police and the schools time to do methodical and accurate investigations."
Gloucester Police Chief Edward Conley said they were "treating these allegations with the utmost seriousness."
"We ask the public to allow the investigation to proceed without rushing to judgment," Conley said.
