Mom says teen suffered severe burns in school bullying attack: 'She’s in a lot of pain'

Villa Rica police probe 14-year-old burned

A 14-year-old girl named Aspen was hospitalized with severe second and third-degree burns after a bullying dispute escalated into a physical confrontation. According to her mother, the bullying had persisted for six months at Villa Rica Middle School.

VILLA RICA, Ga. - A 14-year-old girl is recovering from severe chemical burns after a middle school bullying dispute escalated into a violent confrontation over the weekend.

What we know:

Villa Rica police are investigating the incident, which occurred at the Arbors at Villa Rica apartment complex. The victim’s mother, Aspen Clark, said the fight was the result of bullying that has persisted for six months and stems from Villa Rica Middle School.

Video of the encounter has circulated on social media and has been turned over to investigators. According to Clark, the footage shows that while the physical altercation began as a fistfight, it quickly turned dangerous.

What they're saying:

"When I took her to Tanner they told me it was chemical burns… very severe chemical burn," Clark said, noting that her daughter suffered second- and third-degree burns.

"Once the girl started, she got a mug, and splashed it on her," Clark said. "She was never a threat to that little girl."

The transcript describes the victim being "violently slammed to the ground" with "compressive force" applied to her neck and back during the struggle.

Clark said she has attempted to address the ongoing bullying with school officials on multiple occasions.

"I’ve been to the school at least three to four times. I’ve talked to the counselor. I tried to get seated with the parents to talk about the situations, but I couldn’t get through with that," Clark said.

While Clark said she taught her child to fight back only in self-defense, she now wonders if that boundary led her daughter's assailant to "go beyond a fair fight."

The teenager remains on medication as she undergoes a difficult recovery process.

"She’s in a lot of pain… the cleaning, the bandaging, all that. It’s just, it’s horrible. It’s horrible," Clark said.

The other side:

Carroll County Schools sent the following statement to FOX 5 Atlanta:

We are aware of an off-campus incident that occurred over the holiday weekend. Law enforcement is moving forward with their investigation and any criminal charges they deem appropriate. We are continuing to work with law enforcement to fully investigate any allegations that may have involved Villa Rica Middle School students. We are committed to a safe campus community for students, faculty and staff.