ROCK HILL, S.C. — A Rock Hill teenager pleaded guilty Tuesday after a fight left another student with spinal injuries.
Channel 9's Greg Suskin was in the courtroom Tuesday and learned what led up to the fight.
The defense lawyer said the two students met to fight after some text messages were exchanged. During the text conversation, the victim called the other teen the n-word.
The lawyer said when they met in the school parking lot, the victim, who is white, called the other teen the n-word again and that escalated the situation.
The video circulated after the fight broke out at South Pointe High School in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
The disturbing video showed the two students fighting, then one of the students being thrown to the ground, and as he lifted his head, another punch was thrown.
According to the initial police report, there are conflicting stories as to what started the fight.
Tuesday morning in family court, the judge said that the defendant was certainly provoked, but he used excessive force and told him, "You're better than that."
The teen was suspended for seven days and as a football player, he will miss several South Pointe games due to the assault.
The judge also issued a no-contact order between the two teams and their families.
The Department of Juvenile Justice is asking for probation, community service and anger management counseling for the defendant.
The defendant has no criminal record and the judge did not sentence him Tuesday.
The victim's mother told Channel 9's Greg Suskin after court that her son is OK and will be returning to South Pointe when school starts.
After the initial incident, police said the 16-year-old was charged with assault and battery.
The victim has been charged with disorderly conduct.
Students told Channel 9 it escalated quickly.
Police said they reviewed surveillance video that shows a punch being thrown and then one teen's body slammed "upon the concrete."
That student suffered a concussion, deep bruising of his head and a minor spinal injury, according to the police report.
By the time the school resource officer arrived, both students were gone.
Channel 9 checked state records and found there haven't been any aggravated assaults at the school in two years.
Student Dylan Ace said he witnessed the fight.
"I mean when it happened everybody was in shock,” Ace said. “I saw when the kid got up. He was bleeding and stuff out of his mouth."
The video had been seen by nearly every student Channel 9 spoke with.
"Something that drastic, like someone hurting, like that's crazy, so yeah, it did kind of shock me,” student Jacquelyn King said.
Police said the injured student was taken to a hospital.
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