Enid Teen Injured In Fight With Classmate Released From Hospital

A 14-year-old was released from the hospital Thursday following a fight with a classmate. The teenage was badly beaten during the physical altercation that started during a dodge ball game.

4/25/2012 Related Story: Fight At Middle School In Enid Sends One Student To Hospital

Preston Hodge posted about his release from the hospital on his Facebook page. An Enid Public Schools Campus Police report showed Hodge suffered broken bones, lacerations and possible internal injuries following Tuesday's fight.

"He looked like, well, he'd been beat up pretty bad," said Julie Galusha. "He was up there on the steps, not quite halfway down and he just passed out."

Galusha lives across the street from Longfellow Middle School, where the altercation happened.

According to a police report, Hodge allegedly told another student to "go back to the islands," which campus police said was a reference to the Marshall Island. That report also showed the other student involved told staff at Longfellow Middle School that he "punched [Hodge] in the face" and when Hodge fell to the ground he "kept hitting him."

Julie Galusha said the scene was chaotic at first while paramedics, police and EMTs responded to the scene. Hodge was unconscious when first responders arrived, according to police.

"They were already up there to him and working with him and all at once they had him in the ambulance and down 10th Street," recalled Galusha. "They went and they took him to the hospital."

Hodge made several posts on Facebook while in the hospital. On Wednesday he posted, "Hey everyone, I'm fine, I don't remember what happened. I'm having surgery in the morning." Then on Thursday he posted, "out of the hospital."

Family friend Jeff Rust has a daughter in middle school. While he does not think this incident will cause a racial divide in Enid, he thinks there needs to be more done to educate kids.

"This is happening a lot here in Enid, in our public school system," said Rust. "You really don't hear about it or see it until one gets hospitalized."

The investigation continued and the District Attorney's office could not comment on any possible charges Friday because both of the boys involved were minors. But according to police, aggravated battery was listed on the campus police report as the offense.

Police say they are investigating the incident as a hate/bias incident.