U.S.
#StandWithRayden: Athletes Support 12-Year Old Bullying Victim After Viral Video
Published
3 years agoon
By
Cory Ray
- MMA fighters, pro-wrestlers, and NFL players tweeted their support for an autistic boy in Oklahoma who was physically attacked by other students in two viral videos.
- The school district and police said they have identified the students who attacked 12-year-old Rayden Overbay.
- Authorities are considering charges of bullying, as well as assault and battery.
- Overbay’s parents spoke on the issue, saying they forgive the students who attacked their son and asking adults to not bully his attackers in return.
Video of Autistic Boy Being Bullied Goes Viral
After two videos of multiple middle schoolers physically bullying their autistic classmate went viral, a handful of athletes have offered their support to the victim.
The videos, which originally went viral in September, picked up even more attention on Oct. 23 after MMA fighter Dillon Danis tweeted a compilation of both videos and said he wanted to contact the victim, Rayden Overbay.
“This is very sad,” Danis said. “We are all here for you brotha, please tag anyone that knows him or his parents i would like to reach out!”
this is very sad we are all here for you brotha, please tag anyone that knows him or his parents i would like to reach out! 💔 #standwithrayden pic.twitter.com/B13pn8zPCC
— Dillon Danis (@dillondanis) October 23, 2019
The first incident in the video shows Overbay being attacked in the boys’ restroom at Yukon Middle School on Sep. 13. The day prior, another video surfaced online showing multiple children punching and kicking Overbay at a mobile home park.
On Sep. 16, Yukon superintendent Jason Simeroth told media outlets that both the school and police were investigating the videos.
Police then confirmed that all of the kids in both videos had been identified as students at Yukon Middle School and explained that the school had already taken disciplinary action against them. Notably, police also said they were working to determine whether or not to file charges, including bullying, as well as assault and battery.
Since the students are minors, however, it is unlikely that any full extent of their repercussions will be made publically available.
Rayden’s Parents Speak Out
Just days after these videos went viral, professional MMA fighter Justin Wren reached out to Overbay’s family, offering to help them. Wren heads an anti-bullying charity called Fight for the Forgotten.
At a news conference with Wren, Overbay’s parents explained their son has high-functioning autism and that they decided to not to enroll him in a special education curriculum. Later, when discussing the bullying, Overbay’s father fought tears.
“It’s gotta stop, no matter what,” he said. “Whether it’s my son somebody else’s son or daughter… it’s gotta stop.”
“A few people decided to record it on video because they thought it was funny,” he said. “It is the only reason I am sitting in front of you today. Some of those kids claim to be my son’s friend, and that’s hard as a dad.”
Overbay’s parents, however, said incidents have been happening for years, with his mother saying she’s seen kids walk up to him and punch him “square in the stomach” since he was eight or nine.
Despite struggling with their son’s bullying, both parents said they forgive the kids who attacked him. The Overbay’s also asked adults to stop bullying the other children after those children received death threats and their addresses were posted online.
“We forgive the kids for what they did,” Overbay’s father said. “They made a mistake, they’re 12 they’re 13 they got a life to live.”
“We want to stand here and say stop bullying and stand against, stop bullying, you can’t turn around and say now let’s get a group and go beat these kids up,” Overbay’s mother said. “That’s not how fixing bullying works.”
Athletes Offer Support
Shortly after Danis’ tweet, #StandWithRayden began trending on Twitter, with more athletes supporting Overbay. Oakland Raiders offensive lineman Trent Brown tweeted that he wants to bring Overbay and his family to an NFL game.
This is some bullshit!!! I FUCKING HATE BULLIES!!!! I want to bring Rayden and his family to a game!!! You guys help me find him please 🙏🏽 #standwithrayden https://t.co/yLAJy028aR
— Trent Brown (@Trent) October 23, 2019
Taeler Hendrix of the National Pro Wrestling League also said she wanted to send him gifts and dedicate her next match to him.
This is heart breaking #Standwithrayden #stopbullying
— Taeler Hendrix (@Taeler_Hendrix) October 24, 2019
I would love to send you some gifts, dedicate my next match to you Rayden. Hopefully be able to get Rayden and his family to an event. https://t.co/VT5uMcNXnG
Notably, Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield issued a message to Overbay and shamed the parents of the children who had bullied him.
“Unbelievable that kids could actually be this mean and spiteful,” he said. “Shame on the parents of the ones picking on Rayden… these videos are hard to watch, and that’s only what has been caught on video.”
“I don’t know if he or his family will ever even see this… but hang in there,” the NFL quarterback continued. “Y’all have lots of love and support coming your way. Stay strong and believe there are brighter days ahead!!!”
#StandWithRayden Unbelievable that kids could actually be this mean and spiteful. Shame on the parents of the ones picking on Rayden… these videos are hard to watch, and that’s only what has been caught on video.
— Baker Mayfield (@bakermayfield) October 24, 2019
I don’t know if he or his family will ever even see this… but hang in there ❤️. Y’all have lots of love and support coming your way. Stay strong and believe there are brighter days ahead!!!
— Baker Mayfield (@bakermayfield) October 24, 2019
After taking notice of the growing trend, Wren said he would share some of the most supportive tweets with Overbay and his family.
We are doing something about this. I’ve been spending a lot of time with Rayden and his family. If you want to send your love and support via message or video use the #StandWithRayden and #FightForTheForgotten. We will show Rayden and his family some of the best ones. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/mtXDUQfWnJ
— Justin Wren MMA (@TheBigPygmy) October 23, 2019
See what others are saying: (KFOR) (NEWS9) (OKC FOX)
U.S.
Conservatives are Mad at “Woke” Xbox for Minor Climate-Related Updates
Published
1 day agoon
January 25, 2023By
Lili Stenn
The fury comes after Xbox announced it was slightly altering existing consoles to better utilize and save energy.
Same War, New Battlefield
Mere days after M&M canceled their “spokescandies” due to backlash from the right, led largely by Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, conservatives have found a new front for their ongoing culture war: Xbox.
Carlson spent months complaining that small character redesigns were “woke” because they made the animated anthropomorphized M&M’s — in his own words — “less sexy.” His campaign finally proved successful on Monday when the company announced it would be doing away with the spokescandies and replacing them with actress Maya Rudolph.
A message from M&M'S. pic.twitter.com/EMucEBTd9o
— M&M'S (@mmschocolate) January 23, 2023
Conservatives, now facing a sudden dearth of non-issues to complain about, quickly found a new issue to rage against. Xbox announced in a blog post earlier this month that it is making minor updates to lower its environmental impact as part of an effort to reach Microsoft’s goal of being carbon-negative by 2030.
Now, instead of having an Xbox wake up to update games, apps, and software during random times of the night, it will do that at a time of night when a user’s local energy grid is generating the most power it can from renewable sources.
Xbox also said it would automatically update some older consoles to a power-saving mode that aims to reduce electricity consumption when it is turned off — a feature that is already the default on newer consoles.
According to The Verge, the only difference for users is that an Xbox in power-saving mode takes around 15 seconds to boot up instead of doing so immediately as the console does in “sleep” mode. The change is a small price to pay for what the outlet described as “significant” energy savings.
Xbox Under Fire
To many leading conservative voices, the minimal shifts were just another example of “woke” culture.
While discussing M&M’s spokescandies Tuesday morning, “Fox and Friends” co-host Ainsley Earhardt brought up Xbox’s new changes with Fox radio host Jimmy Failla.
“So Xbox has also announced that they’re going woke too, you know, because of climate change,” Earhardt said.
“I mean, it’s crazy what they’re doing, but we understand what this is. It’s not that it’s actually going to offset emissions, okay — the level of reduction is infinitesimal,” Failla claimed, without evidence. “But they’re trying to recruit your kids into climate politics at an earlier age; make them climate conscious now.”
“Yeah, I didn’t think of that — you’re right, they’re going after the children,” Earhardt agreed, despite the fact that internal data from Microsoft shows just around 10% of Xbox owners are under the age of 18.
Other prominent conservatives also did their part to bait Americans into anger on social media, including America’s Foundation, which posted a tweet stating that “the woke brigade is after video games.”
Lol now the woke brigade is after video games all in the name of climate change.
— YAF (@yaf) January 24, 2023
Xbox will force gamers to power down to fight climate change, touting the first 'carbon aware console' https://t.co/wIwbCTh2Zy
The post linked an article from the right-wing website TheBlaze, which asserted that “Xbox will force gamers to power down to fight climate change.” That, however, is false — Xbox has said users can switch back and change the settings any time they want
Still, top lawmakers continued to share the article and spread its false claims, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tx.).
“First gas stoves, then your coffee, now they’re gunning for your Xbox,” he wrote in the post, which was flagged by Twitter and given an “added context” warning.
First gas stoves, then your coffee, now they're gunning for your Xbox. https://t.co/MpaH2ntWAz
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) January 23, 2023
The same warning, however, was not placed in a very similar post by Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Tx.), who also shared the article.
“They want to take your guns. They want to take your gas stoves. And now they want to take your Xbox. What’s next?” he wrote.
— Congressman Troy Nehls (@RepTroyNehls) January 23, 2023
See what others are saying: (The Washington Post) (The Daily Beast) (VICE)
U.S.
Washington State Launches Investigation Into Abuse at Private Special Ed. Schools
Published
1 day agoon
January 25, 2023By
Star Pralle
Allegations include staff kicking a fourth-grader and dragging a child with autism around by his leg.
Abuse Allegations
Washington State’s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has launched an investigation into a system of private schools for kids with disabilities after ProPublica and the Seattle Times reported on allegations of abuse.
The series of articles focused on Northwest School of Innovative Learning (NWSOIL). NWSOIL is a set of private schools that serve 500 Washington public school students with serious disabilities. ProPublica and the Seattle Times found years of complaints from parents and school districts against NWSOIL alleging abuse, overuse of isolation rooms, and unqualified aides teaching instead of certified professionals.
One district claimed NWSOIL staff kicked a fourth-grader. Another alleged that a child with autism was dragged around by his thigh.
Many former NWSOIL employees also claim that they were pressured by their parent company to to enroll more students and skimp on basic resources, like staffing.
Investigation Launched
In a seven-page letter, OSPI reminded NWSOIL of its authority to revoke or suspend a school’s approval, meaning that it could shut NWSOIL down.
“Given the serious nature of the allegations made in the articles, OSPI is examining what, if any, actions need to be taken with respect to Northwest SOIL’s approval to contract with Washington school districts,” Tania May, assistant superintendent for special education at OSPI, wrote in the letter.
OSPI has demanded any records of mistreatment, maltreatment, abuse, or neglect as well as documents pertaining to restraint or isolation of students and calls to the police. They are also seeking information about the student-to-teacher ratio and staff qualifications.
In the letter, OSPI claims that all of this was previously unknown to them as well as to police, Child Protective Services, and local school districts. They are asking NWSOIL for an explanation as to why the allegations were not reported.
NWSOIL defended itself in a public statement.
“Use of restraints and seclusion are always used as a last response when a student is at imminent risk of hurting themselves or others,“ it said. “We strongly deny any allegation that we understaff and/or pressure staff to increase admissions in order to maximize profits.”
Washington state representatives are considering a reform bill that will give them more oversight on the publicly funded system of private special education schools.
In this legislation, OSPI and at least one district that sends students to this program would be required to visit before approving the contract. It would also standardize district agreements with programs like NWSOIL, including financial safeguards to make sure funds are being used appropriately.
See the full series: (ProPublica) (The Seattle Times)
U.S.
Mass Shootings in Half Moon Bay, Oakland Rock California
Published
2 days agoon
January 24, 2023By
Lili Stenn
Just since Saturday, at least 19 people have been killed and 17 have been injured in mass shootings in California.
California Sees Third Attack in Under a Week
Two California localities experienced separate mass shootings Monday, just days after an attacker killed 11 and injured nine others in a suburb of Los Angeles.
The first of the most recent shootings took place in Half Moon Bay, a small coastal town about 30 miles outside of San Francisco, where a gunman killed seven and critically injured an eighth at two different locations.
According to authorities, police were dispatched to the first location around 2:20 pm and found four people shot to death and a fifth victim also suffering gunshot wounds. Shortly after, three more people were found dead at another site nearby.
About two hours later, police discovered the suspect in his car in the parking lot of a San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office substation with a semiautomatic handgun in the vehicle that officials later confirmed he had purchased legally.
Sheriff Christina Corpus said the man was taken into custody “without incident” and is “fully cooperating.” He has been identified as a 66-year-old Half Moon Bay resident of Asian descent.
Currently, the gunman’s motive is unknown, but the Sheriff told reporters Monday that both of the locations he targeted were nurseries, and it has since been reported that they were mushroom farms.
“All evidence we have points to this being an instance of workplace violence. The Mountain Mushroom Farm, the first location, is where the subject was employed,” Corpus said in a press conference Tuesday, though she added that, so far, the “only known connection between the victims and the suspect is that they may have been coworkers.”
As of writing, it remains unclear why he targeted the second location. A mushroom farm called Concord Farms has told reporters that it was the site of the second shooting — which a law enforcement official confirmed to The Washington Post.
In a statement to the media, a spokesperson said the farm had “no past knowledge” of the alleged gunman or his possible motives. Little has been released about the victims, though Corpus said Tuesday they were all adults and a “mixture of Asian and Hispanic descent,” some of whom were migrants.
Authorities had previously stated that, because people both live and work on the farms, children were among those who witnessed the shooting. However, on Tuesday, one official walked that back and said while children were indeed in the vicinity, police do not have information about specific witnesses.
Just hours after the violence in Half Moon Bay, seven people were injured, and one other was killed during a shooting at a gas station in Oakland. Very little has been reported about the incident, but police have said that the shooting was “between several individuals.”
Renewed Calls for Gun Control
Californians continue to reel from the rapid succession of mass shootings in a state known for its strict gun control laws.
According to Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit that advocates against gun violence, the state ranks No. 1 in the country for gun law strength. An analysis led by the organization found that California has the sixth-lowest rate of gun ownership and the eighth-lowest gun death rate.
Many of California’s top lawmakers have argued that the state’s relatively low gun violence statistics emphasize the need for more federal regulations.
“The Second Amendment’s becoming a suicide pact,” Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) told CBS News in an interview.
“We’ll continue to find whatever loopholes we can and continue to lead the national conversation on gun safety reform. And the data bares out. It works. It saves lives,” he continued. “California’s 37% lower than the death rate of the rest of the nation, and yet, with all that evidence, no one on the other side seems to give a damn. I can’t get anything done in Congress.”
Following the Monterey Park shooting, U.S. Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-Ca.), alongside other Democratic colleagues, introduced two gun control bills in the upper chamber. The first would ban assault weapons, while the second aims to raise the minimum age to purchase assault weapons from 18 to 21.
President Joe Biden quickly threw his support behind the measures, urging Congress to pass them.
“The majority of the American people agree with this commonsense action,” he said in a statement Monday. “There can be no greater responsibility than to do all we can to ensure the safety of our children, our communities and our nation.”
Editor’s Note: At Rogue Rocket, we make it a point to not include the names and pictures of mass murders, suspected mass murderers, or those accused of committing violent crimes who may have been seeking attention or infamy. Therefore, we will not be linking to other sources, as they may contain these details.

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