Beating of white teen becomes 'community issue' in Rifle

Ellen Miller, Special to the News

Published March 8, 2007 at midnight

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The beating of a white 14-year- old Rifle High School girl, allegedly by several female Hispanic students, is the latest indication of rising ethnic tensions in this fast-changing community, school officials said Wednesday.

The friction in this working- class town, which is becoming increasingly Hispanic, has drawn interest from the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, and Garfield County School District Re-2 has asked for help from the Colorado Mediation Coalition, Superintendent Gary Pack said.

"It's a community issue," Pack said. "Rifle is changing from predominantly Anglo to predominantly Hispanic. Whether it's bullying or ethnic harassment is what we're looking at.' "

He said one of the alleged attackers has been suspended pending an expulsion hearing and others could be disciplined, depending on the results of the school's investigation.

Rifle police said a summons for assault was issued to a juvenile, but they declined to discuss the case further because juveniles are involved.

The girl who was attacked suffered multiple injuries, including a broken nose, two black eyes, separation between two of her vertebrae, a bruised collarbone and scratches over her face in the Feb. 23 incident, said her father, John Kuersten. He said his daughter is recovering after surgery but will not return to the school.

"My daughter was attacked by a big girl and several other girls. She wasn't fighting," he said. "We are outraged."

Rifle Mayor Keith Lambert said he had received a call from the U.S. Department of Justice, inquiring about the incident.

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