Two brothers were beaten up at their middle school in what New York lawmakers called a "hate crime" sparked by fear of the Ebola virus.
The attack took place Friday at Intermediate School 318 in the Bronx, a borough of New York City, where eighth-grader Abdou Drame and his sixth-grader brother Amedou are enrolled. The children, who are both U.S.-born, recently arrived in the United States from Senegal.
The World Health Organization
declared that nation to be free of Ebola earlier this month.
Both brothers were treated for their injuries at a hospital and released,
BuzzFeed reports.
New York Democratic Rep. José Serrano and Democratic state Sen. Bill Perkins called the attack a "hate crime," BuzzFeed reports.
"Ebola is a bullying crisis in our public schools and in our charter schools," said Perkins.
"Our mayor needs to take some steps so that children in our public schools know what Ebola really is and don't go out and attack their fellow students."
The city's Department of Education said the incident has been reported, "we are investigating, and we take this matter very seriously," Buzz Feed reports.
"DOE School Safety staff are on site today to mediate this incident and ensure the safety and support of these students, school staff and their families."
The New York City Police Department did not comment, BuzzFeed reports.
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