By admin 
MAYER, AZ (AZFamily) — A 13-year-old Arizona boy faces a misdemeanor assault charge after a dodgeball incident during a physical education class at Mayer High School, according to a Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office police report.
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Abel Schipper and two of his friends said they threw foam dodgeballs at a girl during a warm-up for a gym class game in December 2025.
“We threw around the dodgeballs and then I throw it at her. I hit her,” said Abel. “One of the kids missed, the other kid also hit.”
Two days later, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office received a tip from a Banner Health social worker who said three boys had attacked a classmate. The tipster said the boys “relentlessly assaulted her with dodgeballs when she came out of the bathroom” and said she was hospitalized. The police report describes photos the girl’s mother took showing two softball-sized blue and purple bruises on her upper right rib cage and lower right abdomen.
“I didn’t think a dodgeball would hurt. And these are small ones too. So you can squeeze them and like they compress and stuff,” said Abel.
What the police report says
A deputy interviewed all of the children involved. All three boys said they had no intention of hurting the girl. Abel did tell the deputy, “I’m not going to lie. I did target her a little bit.”
Abel told Arizona’s Family that targeting someone is part of the game. “Obviously I’m going to have to target somebody for dodgeball. It’s dodgeball. You have to choose somebody, throw the ball, then try to get them out,” he said. “I didn’t want to hurt her at all.”
Abel says his ex-girlfriend is the victim in this case.
“I wouldn’t say we were on good terms, but I also wouldn’t say we were on bad terms. She used to hit me a lot and then she kind of just broke it off after that,” he said.
Mother disputes the charge
Abel’s mother, Cecily, said she received no communication from school officials after the incident and that her son was never disciplined at school.
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She also said she was unaware that a deputy had interviewed Abel on school grounds until months later, when she received a letter from the Yavapai County Juvenile Justice Center notifying her of the misdemeanor assault charge.
“It is absolutely ridiculous. This is a game that every kid in the nation plays at some point in their life,” she said. “They’re considering the dodgeball a weapon and that he knowingly or willingly, recklessly harmed this girl just playing dodgeball in PE.”
Cecily said there were no hard feelings between her son and his ex before and after what happened in gym class.
“I have text messages from her asking for rides home after this incident happened in December. So it was, it’s just strange. And I was friends with her mom as well,” she said. “If it was a situation where, boys will be boys, then he deserves punishment for that,” Cecily said. “But I also think that, I don’t agree with victim blaming, but I think my son is also getting injustice here when it comes to the court situation.”
Trial scheduled
A judge is scheduled to hear the case Aug. 17. According to the Schipper family, two of the three boys involved will appear to defend themselves.
The school and the victim’s mother did not respond to requests for comment.
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