Teen says she was attacked at a New Brunswick school because she is Jewish

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A 14-year-old Israeli girl who attends a high school in New Brunswick has told Canadian Jewish News that she was attacked by another student last month because she was Jewish.

Shaked Tsurkan said she was attacked by an older schoolmate at Leo Hayes High School in Fredericton. The alleged assault occurred during lunch break in a parking lot off school property.

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A video of the alleged attack posted on social media shows a student running towards Tsurkan from behind, pulling her to the ground and punching her repeatedly in front of several bystanders. The two get into an argument until, after about a minute, an adult comes along and breaks up the fight.

Tsurkan had black eyes and multiple cuts, scrapes and bruises.

Tsurkan said the attacker was suspended from school for five days. When the student returned, Tsurkan was advised to use the teacher’s bathroom, stay in the school building during the day and not go alone, she said.

“I want the school to know that what happened is not OK,” she said. “(The school) still says it’s my fault for going outside.”

“They blame me for what happened,” she added.

Tsurkan moved with her family from Israel to Fredericton in November 2022 and began 9th grade a few weeks before the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

She said her alleged attacker treated her with hostility for two months, culminating in the attack on April 30. Tsurkan said she tried to avoid a confrontation with the older student that day, but as she walked away from her, she was approached and threatened by the student.

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A man in a silver car also tried to ram Tsurkan and her boyfriend before the attack, forcing them to “jump to the side,” she said.

“We are aware of an act of violence that occurred among a small number of students at Leo Hayes High School,” Paul MacIntosh, spokesman for the Western Anglophone School District, told the National Post. He said the school administration took the incident very seriously and responded appropriately, including asking local police for assistance.

MacIntosh said he could not provide further details to protect the students’ privacy.

In a statement released Wednesday, Fredericton police said they are aware of the incident and their Major Crime Unit is currently conducting an active investigation into the matter.

Meanwhile, Tsurkan’s father Eli searches around the parking lot for evidence to support the police investigation, which he believes is not moving fast enough. He also said that he is not looking for anyone to be punished, but rather that he wants to help his daughter and others in a similar situation.

“I’m not looking for punishment. I don’t want to be famous… be interviewed or be on TV,” he told the Canadian Jewish News Daily podcast. “I want a solution, a practical solution, so that my girl and other students can learn in a safe environment.”

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