WILLIAMSPORT -- Williamsport police filed charges Friday against the student suspected of punching a 14-year-old girl in the face at school.
They took action against the teenage boy one day after we showed you the girl's injuries.
After police filed charges in juvenile court, they told us this punch in school was an isolated incident.
Even so, parents say fighting and bullying has become an all too familiar thing in schools.
While students from Williamsport Area School District headed home for the weekend, this week's argument between two freshmen was still on everyone's mind. That argument ended with a punch that left 14-year-old Sarah Boyce with a swollen eye and in need of surgery.
"He hit her with a lot of force and it is horrifying to think that anyone would justify that," said Wanda Jones.
"She had to chase him. It's not just his fault," said Tina Caldrone.
Newswatch 16 first met Boyce before a doctor's appointment at Geisinger near Danville.
"Underneath my eye, my nose, and this area is broke," said Boyce.
According to police, Boyce and a male student were arguing in the hallway when he punched her.
Boyce says the whole thing started after the two had an argument on the bus.
Now police say the boy faces charges in juvenile court. Boyce needs surgery to repair damage.
"It's getting too extreme. I mean, what are they going to do, wait till someone gets killed?" said Trish Knull.
While school district officials confirm that male student is not taking classes for the time being in Williamsport, many of the students we spoke with say it's all they've been talking about.
"From my friends I heard that it was bad, but from one of his friends, he had the right to hit her," said Dakoda Jones.
Friends of the freshman boy tell Newswatch 16 the girl provoked him and is not innocent.
"If she would have just let him go, he was walking away to just let the situation resolve itself."
"I know we can be angry when someone is saying racial slurs, but it's important that we conduct ourselves, handle ourselves in a better fashion that we have to divert the violence," said Anthony Garnett of Williamsport.
Despite those claims, police told us there is no evidence that the girl antagonized the boy before she was punched.
Sarah's family does not plan to send her back to school in Williamsport after she has recovered.
