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Video Captures Abuse of 14 Year Old Boy at Military School
Fourteen-year-old Jesse Mactagone of Auburn, California attended the St. John's Military School for a mere four days before he required surgery to repair broken bones in his legs. According to the boy’s mother, Mactagone was pushed down while running on his first day at the military school, and cadets were instructed by staff to “run over him”, resulting in the first break to the boy’s leg. Two days later, an incident in the school’s mess hall was reportedly captured on a cell phone video showing a horrific sight of the injured boy pleading for help as he tries to stand on his broken leg at the instruction of a staff member.
The cell phone video reportedly shows the boy being taunted as he cries and pleads for assistance. Mactagone reports that cadets took away the boy’s crutches and later drug him by the ankles outside where he was beaten. The school has filed a motion to keep the video from public circulation. St. John’s Military School has been involved in nine other lawsuits claiming personal injury and abuse of cadets since 2009- all of which were settled privately. Six other students at the school have come forth and filed lawsuits against the school, as well, after Mactagone’s alleged treatment went public.