A 15-year-old Asian American girl was punched at a basketball tournament in Orange County on Sunday, CBS Los Angeles reports. Her mother claims it was a sucker punch.
Lauryn Ham was playing with her team the “SoCal Blaze” at a tournament in Garden Grove when an opponent punched her in the face.
The punch was captured on video. In the video, a girl approaches Lauryn and punches her in the face during a game.
Lauryn’s mother Alice says her daughter is now in concussion protocol, ABC 7 reports. She has been mostly resting in a dark room as she recovers.
Alice claims that the mother of the girl who punched her daughter yelled “go and hit her” before the punch was thrown, CBS Los Angeles reports.
“It’s on the video, you can hear it plain and simple (and) the ref that was there also heard it and is willing to give testament,” Alice Ham told CBS Los Angeles.
Officials ejected the girl and her mother from the tournament. Alice has filed a police report against both of them.
The girl who punched Lauryn plays for the Dream Academy. She is believed to be the daughter of an NBA player, ABC 7 reports.
Alice believes the mother provoked the attack, but it is unclear why the girl punched Lauryn. Before the punch occurs, the girl can be seen falling over as Lauryn tries to stop her from taking a shot.
Alice wants the mother and daughter to be held accountable.
Attorney Brett Greenfield, who is representing the mother and daughter, told ABC 7 in a statement that his clients are “deeply and sincerely remorseful.”
“This is a unfortunate incident involving a very hard working and promising student athlete,” he said in the statement. “We must keep some perspective and keep in mind that this is a young minor who has made a mistake.”
Greenfield also says the girl is receiving intense social media abuse.
“The comments on social media in response to this incident are a cause of great concern for both the minor and her family,” Greenfield said in his statement. “We would respectfully request that she be given the benefit of the doubt and that her privacy be respected given her young age.”
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Both mother and daughter needs to be punished to the fullest extent of the law.
Girl should be suspended from all bball activities for a year. Arrested as a juvenile with no jail time but severe consequences under probation. And the mother should be kept away from any of the offender’s bball activities. The girl made a huge mistake. It was a cowardly, disrespectful act. Where did she learn something like this ? If it came from the parents, they should be eliminated from her basketball life.
What kind of mother commands her daughter to attack a smaller child?
A few solutions for thought…for the parents and affected: sue this family of the criminal to create massive financial pain, sue the basketball club for allowing this criminal to continue to play. for the basketball club: sue the family of the criminal to create massive financial pain. for the city of orange county: draft and implement substantial penalties to both participants and basketball clubs within orange county and those entering into orange county. If you want to change this type of behavior, either the parents are going to change the kid or will need to be forced to move out of orange county. There is no other way.
Wow, if they can do that in public, I am wondering what they could do else where
That was brutal. They need to charge the girl with aggravated assault and kicked off the basketball team. She should also be suspended from school.
Hate crime