La Brea parents protest return of school bully

A small protest was staged outside the Brighton Anglican Primary School, La Brea, yesterday, as parents objected to the reinstatement of a 12-year-old student who was removed after he threatened the principal with a broken bottle several months ago.

Although few in numbers, the parents insisted that the boy, who has a medical condition, was a threat to the entire school population and should not be allowed to return. However, an official of the Ministry of Education, said the situation was subject to a civil matter in the High Court and the judge ruled in favour of the child’s reinstatement.

“I am now aware of all the details surrounding the matter, but we have to abide by the court’s decision, unless the affected parties want to take it further,” the ministry spokesman said.

Parent Cornell Welch said, “We don’t want to deny this child an education but we don’t want him in this school, He is a troubled child and the Government must find a place to accommodate him.” Welch said his son was attacked by the bully.

Another parent Giselle Stewart also claimed her child had been bullied by the student.

“Teachers, the principal, students, everybody scared of him. Why bring him back here?” She asked.

Lisanne Cudjoe related an incident in which the student, “Came into my house to bully my son for his flash drive.” “It is unfair. That child is uncontrollable. Not even the police, teachers or his parents can control him.”

“Last term, the principal spoke to him about his behaviour and he broke a bottle and run down the principal,” Cudjoe claimed. “Other staff members had to save her. The police came and it took three of them to restrain him.”

She said a social worker was assigned to his case and a male teacher was assigned to monitor his every move but that had not helped.

A parent, who asked to remain anonymous, said they got wind of the child’s reinstatement during a PTA meeting earlier this week and decided to take protest action to highlight the issue which they believed was being covered up.

The parent claimed that, prior to the bottle incident, the “bad boy” wrote a letter to a younger female classmate filled with sexual innuendo.

Calls to contact the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association wee unsuccessful.