A white student accused of brutally beating a black paraprofessional who works at his school in Minnesota has been released without bail.

Corey David Burfield, 18, was released to his mother’s custody on Wednesday after she promised she would keep an eye on him, reports The Star Tribune. Burfield was charged with one count of first-degree assault and one count of third-degree assault for knocking Mohammed Dukuly down and beating him until he was rendered unconscious.

District Judge William Koch ruled Burfield must be electronically monitored, cannot contact Dukuly and must seek mental health services every two weeks.

Dukuly was on life support after the attack, but has made a miraculous recovery. He is awake and jovial, but does not remember the attack.

“Thank God!” Dukuly said. “I don’t know what happened to me. I’m starting to know things for myself. Thank God!”

Dukuly’s loved ones opposed the judge's decision, citing the severity of the beating.

“Quite frankly, we are disappointed,” said Imam Mohammed Dukuly, the victim's uncle. “For a serious case like this, I think he should’ve been on bail.”

Burfield was a student at Harrison Education Center, a special needs school, and Minneapolis School District superintendent believes this incident is an example of needed educational reform.

“My prayers are with Mr. Dukuly and his family, but what we need to talk about is the need we have in our schools,” Ed Graff said during a press conference. “Many of our students have emotional and behavioral needs and [that] leads to aggression.”

Corey David Burfield

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