For Synthia Hernandez, every school morning now comes with fear.
She says her son, a quiet eighth grader with special needs at Sierra Vista Junior High School, was approached and threatened by classmates who she says tried to attack him after school.
“I see my son kind of walking fast, and he just jumped in the car, didn’t say anything to me, just jumped in, he was shaking,” said Hernandez.
“When I asked what happened, he said they were trying to jump him, and one of them had a knife. I called the school right away because I was terrified.”
Hernandez says she immediately called the school but was told to wait for deputies to arrive. She says that by the time law enforcement arrived, the students were gone, and no one followed up with her afterward.
“I even told them, ‘So what, are you going to wait for him to stab me?’ And he just dismissed my son’s feelings. He didn’t even say anything, just told us we were exaggerating and that nothing happened,” said Hernandez.
Hernandez says her son has been too afraid to return to school since the incident. After she posted her story online, she says dozens of other parents reached out, saying they’ve had similar experiences.
“Over sixty parents commented, saying the same thing. The school has a problem. There’s bullying, gangs, and fights every day, and nobody’s doing anything about it. It’s not just my son. It’s so many other kids,” said Hernandez.
Alicia Cabrera, a close family relative, says she has seen the family’s frustration firsthand and believes that too many families are being ignored.
“This isn’t just a Hart District issue; it’s everywhere,” said Cabrera.
In a statement to Canyons News, Hart District Communications Director Debbie Dunn said the district worked with law enforcement to investigate and that “there is nothing further to report at this time.”
The Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station confirmed deputies found no evidence of a weapon or ongoing threat.
The Hernandez family says their son is now studying from home while they decide whether to file a formal complaint.
The Hart District says student safety remains its top priority. But Hernandez says she won’t send her son back until she feels the school will listen.
