A 14-year-old Dartmouth boy alleges that school principal Ken Fells grabbed him by the throat. (CBC)

The family at the centre of a controversial case involving school principal Ken Fells say their 14-year-old son suffered a concussion, cuts and bruises after a scuffle at Graham Creighton Junior High School in March.

"He just grabbed my arms and pushed me back, and I pushed him back and then he grabbed me by the throat and threw me on the ground," the boy told CBC News Friday.

"Everything just went blank, like a blackout. I just didn't know what was going on."

His parents — Michael Wagner and Janet Boutilier — requested that their son's identity be protected. He is now attending another school.

Fells has been removed as principal at the Cherry Brook school, but remains an employee of the Halifax Regional School Board and will be given a new school in the fall.

RCMP investigated the incident and no charges were laid against Fells.

The boy's parents, who want Fells to be fired, have hired a lawyer.

Janet Boutilier said the incident in the cafeteria at the Cherry Brook school began when two girls looked to be on the verge of getting in to a fight.

"Everyone turned around with their cameras, thinking there's going to be a cat fight," she said.

Her son also pulled out his cell phone camera, Boutilier said, and that's when Fells demanded the phone. Her son refused to give it to him.

"The other kids weren't asked to give their phones over. So, it was on principle that he wasn't handing over the phone," she said.

The boy told his parents that Fells then followed him into the hallway, and tried to corner him.

"My son tried to go underneath his arm, and that's when Mr. Fells became physical with him. He pushed him," Boutilier said.

She said her son then pushed the principal and there was a struggle back and forth, and then Fells grabbed her son.

Michael Wagner went to pick up his son at school.

"You could see physically that he was abused —arms, neck. You could see it. Arms bleeding, neck bruised. I asked him [Fells] directly, 'Did you touch him, did you do anything to him?'" Wagner said. "'Yes,' he said, 'I was defending myself. So what.' And then he smiled at me."

A hospital report said the boy was treated for a concussion and vomiting after a head injury at school.

The boy's parents said their son should have obeyed the principal, but Fells took discipline too far.

"I know I did wrong, but he didn't have to beat the crap out of me," the teen said. "I don't ever want to see him again. He shouldn't teach."

A school board staff recommendation to fire Fells was rejected by the elected board Tuesday.