Illinois 8th-grader brutally beaten in anti-Persian 'hate' attack by classmate

An Illinois eighth-grader is facing felony hate crime charges after he brutally attacked fellow student Omid Babakhani on Tuesday. Chicago's CBS Channel 2 reported that 13-year-old Babakhani is now in constant pain and barely able to move, suffering from two broken collarbones and other injuries.

Babakhani said the attack came out of nowhere. He was walking down the hall on his way to class at Hannah Beardsly Middle School in Crystal Lake on what seemed like an ordinary Tuesday.

"And I heard, ‘Hey Persian’ from behind me,” he told Channel 2.

The ethnic insult was followed by a remark about Babakhani's mother. He said he tried to walk away from the confrontation, but the other student jumped on him.

“He put me in a head lock and slammed me to the ground and repetitively started punching my head,” Babakhani said, snapping both his collarbones in the process.

Now, with his future as a competitive swimmer in doubt, Babakhani's parents are furious. His father told reporters, “It’s heartbreaking, but what can you do? You have to deal with it.”

Police arrested the attacker, whose name has not been released. The student is facing felony hate crime charges and aggravated battery charges. He is currently in custody at a juvenile facility.

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