16-year-old transgender boy beaten by large group of teenagers in Massachusetts

A teenager was severely beaten by a large group of other teenagers in Gloucester, Massachusetts. The victim and his mother say he was targeted because of his transgender nature.

Police and other officials, including a hate crime specialist, are investigating the incident, which was reported around 10:45 p.m. on Friday.

“One second I was having fun, the next I was on the ground being kicked and beaten,” said 16-year-old Jayden Tkaczyk.

He is recovering from a broken bone in his face, nerve damage, a head injury and bruises all over his body.

“They just kept saying the F-word over and over again while they were hitting me and stomping on me,” he said.

“He was bullied for years by these kids because he is trans,” added his mother, Jasmine Tkaczyk.

Jayden Tkaczyk said he was walking with friends in the Gloucester woods on Friday night when he was attacked by 20 to 30 people.

And he thinks he knows why.

“Because I’m trans and also because one of the main culprits is dating my ex-girlfriend, so he really doesn’t like me,” he said.

Tkaczyk said he fled, got lost in the woods and called 911. He was rescued and taken to the hospital.

The Topsfield Vocational Academy junior says many of the attackers are members of the Gloucester High School football team.

He said he knew her from when he played football as a sophomore at Gloucester.

“I played it for about a week or two before I had to stop because of the threats they made to me,” he said.

When asked whether the incident was being investigated as a hate crime, Gloucester Police Chief Edward Conley said, “It’s too early to say, but we have some information from initial statements,” which prompted him to appoint an investigator trained in hate crime investigations.

Conley, Mayor Greg Verga and School Superintendent Ben Lummis all said they are taking the incident very seriously.

“Gloucester Public Schools recognizes the seriousness of these allegations and is addressing them with the utmost concern,” Lummis said, but did not provide details about what he called a “troubling incident.”

Videos of the incident have appeared on the Internet.

“We have access to a lot of video,” Conley said. “Our investigators are being sent evidence and are aware of the social media posts that are out there.”

Tkaczyk and his family said they wanted the attackers to be held accountable.

“As a mother of a transgender teenager, my biggest fear was always getting a call that my son was in the hospital because he had been beaten,” said Jasmine Tkaczyk.

The incident occurred in Dogtown, Conley said, noting that police regularly check the abandoned colonial village for underage drinking.

The Essex County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that it was aware of the allegations.