Middle School Boy Bused Home With Sprained Wrist

When Scott St. George received a call two weeks ago from Marissa Pinto, a social worker at Woonsocket Middle School at Hamlet, to inform him that his son Evan had been in an altercation, he was concerned, but not panicked.

According to St. George, Pinto said his son was fine and had just a small scratch on his lip, asking if it was OK to put the 12 year-old on the school bus.

February vacation was about to begin and, having been dismissed from his after- school program, Evan was headed to Kids Klub, a daycare program at Bernon Elementary.

An hour later, St. George's wife received a very different call. Sarah, a director for Kids Klub said she was concerned about Evan's appearance, according to the couple. They picked up their son and took him to Woonsocket Urgent Care, where he was treated for a gash in his lip and a sprained wrist. 

"That's a lot different than a scratch," St. George said.

Evan was slammed into a wall while waiting for the bus after the Feinstein Program, Pinto reported. The boy responsible for the incident reportedly ran off and was not apprehended.

"They said they knew what his name was and would deal with him administratively," St. George said of school officials. Uncomfortable with this response, Evan's parents filed charges against the alleged attacker with the Woonsocket Police Department.

Although this is not Evan's first incident at school,  St. George said he feels his son has been treated unfairly and that school officials were not acting to protect the 12 year-old's well-being.

"He doesn't deserve what he's gotten," Scott said. "They're supposed to have a zero-tolerance policy."

Neither Pinto nor Woonsocket Middle School Principal Patrick McGee returned calls seeking comment.

Evan's first trouble at the school occurred in an incident earlier in the school year, a fight that led the St. Georges to the Woonsocket Police Department. Evan had been arrested for starting the altercation, they said. 

"I supported the administration in that decision. With zero-tolerance, any altercation that breaks school policy and you're in trouble," St. George said.

However, he said, he does not understand why the same rules have not applied in this incident, or in another incident in which a boy allegedly punched Evan in a classroom. The boy received detention, St. George said.

The Code of Discipline in the 2010-2011 Middle School Handbook states that fighting can result in out-of-school-suspension, behavioral probation, or a disciplinary hearing, however, it explains that "the final determination of consequences is within the discretion of the principal and/or assistant principal."

"Any assault is an assault and should be reported to the police. What does this say about the school? If I punched someone and ran away, would they not call the cops?," St. George said.

According to Evan's IEP (Individualized Education Program,) a teacher or authority figure is supposed to be present when he gets on the bus, and St. George said he wants to know who's responsible for allowing his son to leave with such injuries.

"If it was just a little scratch, I wouldn't be concerned," St. George said. "It was a gash, and it could have reopened a previous injury and permanently disfigured my son."