Minnesota Mother Says 11-Year-Old Daughter Is Being Beaten by School Bully as New State Law Raises Questions About Accountability

An 11-year-old Minnesota girl has allegedly been attacked twice in two consecutive days while getting off her school bus, leaving her frightened to return to school. Her mother says repeated complaints and disciplinary measures have failed to stop the behavior, and is now questioning a state law that prevents children under 13 from facing traditional juvenile delinquency proceedings.

The incidents happened on October 26 and 27 in Braham, a small community north of Minneapolis. According to the girl’s mother, Shannon Kobinski, the same student had been harassing and physically targeting her daughter since the previous school year.

Videos shared with Alpha News reportedly show the sixth-grader being confronted moments after stepping off her school bus. In one recording, the other girl allegedly pushes, chases and punches her in the face and head. In the second, she is shoved to the ground.

The 11-year-old does not appear to fight back in either video. Instead, she tries to retreat from the other student.

Kobinski said her daughter initially kept the first attack secret because the other girl allegedly threatened to make things worse if she told anyone. The mother learned what had happened after a neighbor witnessed the second incident and helped obtain recordings of both encounters.

She subsequently took her daughter to a nearby hospital, where medical staff reportedly documented the incident as an assault.

A mother’s claims of months of bullying

Kobinski told reporters that the problems began during the previous school year and intensified after classes resumed in September.

She alleged that the other student had repeatedly pulled her daughter’s hair, pushed her and raised a fist toward her. She also claimed the girl had told her daughter to kill herself.

According to Kobinski, the school had been informed about the behavior and had imposed suspensions and bus restrictions. However, she says the incidents continued despite those measures.

The mother also claimed that school officials had agreed to keep the two students apart, but that the arrangement had not adequately protected her daughter.

The situation has become so distressing, she said, that her daughter is afraid to attend school and even to go outside. The two families reportedly live in the same apartment complex.

The law at the center of the controversy

Kobinski has directed much of her frustration toward a Minnesota juvenile justice reform passed in 2024 and implemented on August 1, 2026.

The law raised the minimum age for juvenile delinquency proceedings from 10 to 13. This means children under 13 accused of acts that would otherwise constitute crimes can no longer be placed in traditional juvenile delinquency proceedings.

Instead, they are primarily handled through the state’s child protection system, where authorities can assess whether intervention and support are needed.

Kobinski said police told her they could not pursue juvenile delinquency charges against the student accused of attacking her daughter because of the new age threshold.

State guidance confirms that children under 13 who commit alleged delinquent acts may return to school as soon as the next school day. However, the change does not mean that authorities are powerless: police can still investigate, and child protection agencies can become involved.

The distinction has become central to the debate. Kobinski believes the change leaves families without adequate accountability when a child repeatedly harms another student. She wants lawmakers to reconsider the minimum age and strengthen protections for victims.

School district responds

Braham Area Schools Superintendent Kenneth Gagner said the district investigated the October 26 and 27 incidents, as well as other reports involving the students.

In a statement to Alpha News, he said the school had taken appropriate disciplinary action in accordance with district policies and procedures.

Gagner emphasized that student safety and well-being remained the district’s highest priority. He also explained that privacy laws prevented officials from disclosing specific disciplinary measures taken against an individual student.

The superintendent acknowledged that confidentiality rules can leave families frustrated when they cannot learn exactly how a school has responded to a complaint.

He pointed to the district’s Bullying Prohibition Policy, which outlines how reports of bullying are investigated and addressed.

Kobinski, however, remains dissatisfied. She said she had met with the superintendent and principal and had sought help from the governor, state lawmakers, education officials and other agencies.

A protest calls for answers

The mother’s campaign has attracted attention from other parents and community members. A demonstration was planned outside Braham Area High School on November 5, calling for stronger student protections and greater accountability when bullying becomes physical violence.

The case has also prompted wider discussion about the difference between juvenile punishment, child protection and a school’s responsibility to keep students safe.

Importantly, Minnesota has a separate anti-bullying law requiring public school districts to adopt policies for preventing, investigating and responding to bullying. The state’s education department also provides a process for parents to raise concerns when they believe a school has failed to follow its obligations.

For Kobinski, the immediate concern is not the broader political debate but whether her daughter can safely return to school without fearing another attack.

The district says it has investigated and taken disciplinary action. The family, meanwhile, continues to demand stronger protection.

As the controversy grows, the case is raising a difficult question for Minnesota: how can schools protect children who are being bullied while ensuring that younger students who engage in harmful behavior receive appropriate intervention?

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