September 25th UPDATE at bottom of postOpen letter to George Singfield, Principal of Symmes Junior High School located at 701 Blvd. du Plateau, Gatineau
On Friday, September 10th, 2010, an incident occurred on school grounds. Two Grade eight boys physically assaulted a third boy in front of several witnesses while under the care and protection of the school. It is common knowledge among the students that the two boys responsible have a history of previous violent incidents.
This assault resulted in severe injury, as seen by the photos below (posted with parental permission).
**** Pictures taken down as situation has been resolved ****On Friday, September 10th, 2010, an incident occurred on school grounds. Two Grade eight boys physically assaulted a third boy in front of several witnesses while under the care and protection of the school. It is common knowledge among the students that the two boys responsible have a history of previous violent incidents.
This assault resulted in severe injury, as seen by the photos below (posted with parental permission).
This level of violence, as seen in the photographs, is shocking and clearly far exceeds typical rough-housing or schoolyard bullying. The school's response was to suspend the attackers for five days. They will soon return to school, and the victim will be forced to see and interact with them on a daily basis, both on school grounds and on the bus. The stress on both the victim and his family is so great that they are forced to consider removing him from school.
The damage caused by bullying at school is well documented and can have severe long term effects on the victims that can last into adulthood. And with recent news coverage of school bullying victims like Phoebe Prince, who committed suicide to escape the torment of her attackers, it is more apparent than ever that schools need to be pro-active and ensure a safe learning environment for all.
With this in mind, we ask Mr Singfield the following:
1) How do you intend to ensure adequate supervision of school grounds to prevent future assaults on the victim or any other student?
2) How do you justify allowing the attackers to return to school when the level of violence was so severe?
3) How severe does the violence need to be before a student is expelled?
4) How are the victim's rights being respected when he is forced to interact with his abusers on a daily basis?
We, the undersigned, (consisting of parents of Symmes students, friends, and concerned citizens), are outraged at this violent incident, and concerned for the well being of the victim and other students. We respectfully ask for answers to the above questions.
The damage caused by bullying at school is well documented and can have severe long term effects on the victims that can last into adulthood. And with recent news coverage of school bullying victims like Phoebe Prince, who committed suicide to escape the torment of her attackers, it is more apparent than ever that schools need to be pro-active and ensure a safe learning environment for all.
With this in mind, we ask Mr Singfield the following:
1) How do you intend to ensure adequate supervision of school grounds to prevent future assaults on the victim or any other student?
2) How do you justify allowing the attackers to return to school when the level of violence was so severe?
3) How severe does the violence need to be before a student is expelled?
4) How are the victim's rights being respected when he is forced to interact with his abusers on a daily basis?
We, the undersigned, (consisting of parents of Symmes students, friends, and concerned citizens), are outraged at this violent incident, and concerned for the well being of the victim and other students. We respectfully ask for answers to the above questions.
(September 21st, update: Some people were having difficulty leaving comments, so permission settings have now been opened to everyone and not just registered users.)
September 25th UPDATE:
The victim's mother confirms that the two boys in question are back in the general school population and that her son lives with the possibility of running into them at any time.
She also reports that on Friday September 24th, a boy went up to the victim and told him that the two boys in question would come back after him again if they see him in ***** (the neighbourhood). This was reported to Mr. Singfield.
She has also stated that she would be willing to discuss this matter with the media. If you wish to contact her, please email the site and you will be put in touch with her.
Additionally, it has been suggested that the names and/or the pictures of the abusers be posted on this page. This will not be done as they are minors, and doing so risks having this page removed. Getting the message out is more important.
Thank you, and please continue to show your support by sharing the link, commenting, or contacting the school directly. Let's not stop until every parent who has a child at Symmes, D'arcy, and all of the elementary feeder schools are made aware of this situation.
Call the police. Seriously: This is prosecutable, even if the assailants were minors. Don't leave this in the hands of a principal. He has very limited authority.
ReplyDeleteIf two boys were fighting and one got the worst of it, that happens. But when two kids gang up on a third and beat him badly like this? They should be expelled at the very least. And the school CAN do that. Fistfights and roughhousing is going to happen, but savagery, especially when a certain kid gets ganged up on, should never be tolerated. Kick the offenders out of school and let their parents pick up the bill not only for the boys injuries, but for a new school environment for these two.
ReplyDeleteThis is absolutely ridiculous! I cannot believe more has not been done to the two boys AND all the witnesses. In Quebec under the Civil Code, every person is obligated to act as a bon pere de famille, broadly defined as a reasonably prudent person. Failure to do so would amount to fault and lead to legal wrong. Quebec is unique in Canada in imposing a duty on everyone to help a person in peril. The duty to take action stems from the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms enacted in 1975, and the Civil Code.
ReplyDeleteWhat occured is punishable by law, and the School by law should be held legally responsible. It's right there in the Civil Code. If you dont know this you have no business living in Quebec least of all being on the staff of a school!
I believe that the police have been notified but they are taking their time doing anything about it. In the meantime, the boys are back at school with the victim.
ReplyDeleteIt makes me sick to find out that this happened at our school! There should be a zero tolerence policy for violence like this. Why were they not expelled at the very least?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHere is the link for their no tolerance of violence on the website
ReplyDeletehttp://darcymcgeehighschool.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15&Itemid=31
They should be charged with criminal charges, assault causing body harm,intent to wound, etc etc. No matter what they and their parents need to be held responsible for this outrageous act of violence. That boy will have nightmares the rest of his life,and who is going to help him heal..certainly not the bystanders, shame on all of you for letting this happen without helping him, no matter what, you should have stepped in. I hope they get charged.
ReplyDeleteWhat these kid did was wrong on so many levels. I'm concerned not only for the victim, but for all the kids at the school - including my own child - if these children are allowed to continue walking the halls. Expulsion is the least that should happen as a consequence for this level of brutality.
ReplyDeleteThe 3 abusers should be expelled and sent for some serious counselling sessions before they are considered for re-enrollment. As a parent of three in Aylmer (different school) if this happened I would demand them to be removed until both the abusers and the victim had time for therapy and wounds both physical and emotional are healed. If not addressed (or poorly addressed like it seems to have been right now), my children would be pulled out of school until something was done about it.
ReplyDeleteJust asked my daughter about this and she said there was an assembly just after it happened where the principal said that it happened in front of 80 kids and he was upset that none of them stepped in and stopped it. I get that, but if these kids are known bullies, kids might be scared to step in. And it makes me wonder where the adults were or do they normally leave groups of 80 kids unsupervised. Is this a school or Lord of the Flies?
ReplyDeleteIts not the responsibility of the other childrento step in ESPECIALLY when there are teachers and bus drivers there. I agree with Cindy...Do they leave groups of 80 kinds unsupervised?
ReplyDeleteMost children at that age to not need to be supervised but clearly the attackers do. Where are their parents in this?
What I would like to know it HOW the parents of the attackers are dealing with this ?
I think incidents like this need severe punishments and the two boys in question should be expelled for THE YEAR and forced to have to restart it next year...violence free!! I have no tolerance for violence or bullying in schools. The school should be ashamed of themselves. I for one will unfortunetely no longer be sending my 4 children there, anymore.
ReplyDeleteMarissa K.
If children get away with behaving badly at this age, do we really think they will stop as adults? Let’s think about what actions should be done to ensure the health and well being of everyone, now and in the future of all of these young boys lives.
ReplyDeleteAnd if nothing is done, what lesson are we teaching our children? Are we really working to teach our youth complacency in the face of brutality? Really?
Enough is enough.
This should not be tolerated. Those boys should be EXPELLED... Period! There should be no lenience for this type of behavior. Not only should the boys who did this be ashamed, but so should their parents! These boys are already known for violent behavior... what kind of parental influence are they receiving if they CONTINUE to act this way. Give them some discipline and consequences for their actions ... 5 day suspension... absolutely ridiculous :(
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the great comments! Keep them coming, please! Every one of them is sent directly to Principal Singfield, so the more comments there are, the more he'll see that this level of violence is unacceptable.
ReplyDeleteWe've had lots of traffic (over 400 unique visitors), and it's growing every day. Word is getting out. Please send this link to everyone you know. Post it on social networking sites, tweet it. Together we can give a voice to the victim and say no to violence in the schools.
And, Mr. Singfield, we're still hoping that you'll respond to our questions.
Unfortunately if nothing is done, these kids will continue to be abusive as adults. These kids are troubled and need help before they do something even worse.
ReplyDeleteI agree that they should be expelled from school, but it likely won't solve the real problem, and neither will talking to their parents. Where do you think they learned that this is an acceptable way to treat a person?
My heart goes out to the victim, poor little guy. Who knows what impact it will have on the rest his life.
I just hope enough is done now so that we don't have to look back on this incident in a few years - when one of the bullies ends up killing somebody - and wonder if more could/should have been done.
If the principal doesn't act, just post the attackers' names, addresses, and photos. Things sort of take care of themselves when those in positions of authority fail to act.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine the anxiety this young man is feeling at the prospect of returning to school and facing his attackers (and they are attackers). He was physically assaulted and they should definitely receive more than a few days off of school (they are likely laughing at their punishment and very likely enjoying their days off).
ReplyDeleteI hope this is treated much, much more seriously than it has been to date. Kudos to all who have brought it everyone's attention.
I am appalled by the above situation. A zero tolerance to this sort of violence plus mandatory counselling for all involved plus reporting it to the authorities at once. Not the first time there have been issues of bullying in Aylmer schools but if positive actions are taken , perhaps it will change.
ReplyDeletei go to symmes also i heard about the fight if i was there i would of tried to stop it, also i find that it is stuipid that they are gone for 5 days hen there back hurting more kids they should exspell those kids.
ReplyDelete......Maybe the school should dish out more money on supervision or should I say bouncers myself as an adult would be scared that I may get beat up so imagine the kids how they feel.....I agree with the above comment that these 2 kids photos should be posted so everyone in the school can be aware of theses kids and what they have done ...5 days off to what plan on who there next victim will be? I would like to know what the parents of bullies have to say!
ReplyDeleteI think an example needs to be set here. If this was your son, how would you want the situation to be dealt with? Each and every person has the right to an education and should feel safe while getting it at whatever school they're attending. I'm incredibly disappointed that no one stepped in to stop this one sided fight or get help, and even more disappointed that these boys weren't expelled for doing such such a terrible thing to another human being. A five day suspension is like a slap on the wrist.
ReplyDeleteI have heard of intervention programs which require the abuser to make amends to the victim, and in a way walk a mile in their shoes.... not to just provide punishment but to also prevent future bullying, and change the perspectives. After all, bullies are made, not born. They can be unmade. However the level of violence demonstrated requires a higher intervention and possibly charges pressed with police involvement. We're not talking just bullying... we're talking domestic terror. I wouldn't go back to school if that happened to me. Let's be reasonable! If this happened to the principal, would he be expected to suck it up and go back like nothing happened? I think not!
ReplyDeleteWill expelling the abusers really solve the problem? Do you really think that the parents will take the year off to adequately supervise their kids during school hours? Not likely. Instead, the kids get a year off of school to hang out without parents all day and do who-knows-what(sounds like a dream come true for many teenagers). How likely is it that any intervention will happen in that event?
ReplyDeleteThis is a complicated issue with no easy solution. Hopefully by being forced to face the inevitable consequences of their actions, both abusers and victims will be able to heal.
I spoke to my son's about this and they said it happened so fast...they were just getting onto their bus and heard some noise, when they turned around they saw the past punch being thrown and then the two little %$#@& ran off (the one who threw the punch had his shirt off and had given it to the other to hold(??)...my son tried to go after them but the bus driver wouldn't let him off the bus as they were leaving. Both my boys say that the victim will have plenty of protection from now on as they all saw that he did nothing to provoke this attack. And that is what they called it "an attack"....even they were shocked when I told them that the assailants only received a 5 day suspension!! They should be expelled Mr. Singfield!!
ReplyDeleteThis is an awsome idea.. Good for whom ever created this. There is no excuse for violence what so ever. That sweet little boy in the picture did not deserve to have this happen to him. Hopefully his voice and the voice of his friends and family can stop this violence and maybe be able to save another child from surcombing to this type of abuse!! The attackers should be EXPELLED and the principal suspended for his lack of attention to this matter. I hope the little boy is ok and I hope he knows that he is a survivor , not a victim. Stand Tall little buddy!!
ReplyDeleteI was beat up badly once in high school and know how this kid must feel. Seeing his 2 attackers everyday and being on his guards all the time is not a good thing, especially at that age. Self esteem and confidence must be very low. The attackers should be expelled and no longer accepted on the premises.
ReplyDeleteThis should defenitly be reported to the police and the kids should be expelled without a doubt! Violence does/should not have it's place in school! hope the parent will go to the police so the kids can get more than a 5 days vacation from school!
ReplyDeleteI think the children shoulb be forced to change schools!!!! Maybe they will know how it feels to be the odd one out for a change!
ReplyDeleteOh my! i ABSOLUTELY agree with the last comment!!! They should be the ones changing schools. I am so glad this was started, I am happy to know they don't think they can get away with it that easily.
ReplyDeleteOver 20 years ago, I was on the receiving end of some serious threats. One of my teachers saw that I wasn't myself, and with some coaxing, one of my friends told my teacher about the threats I was receiving. It was a very scary time. This wonderful teacher thankfully escalated the situation to the VP of the school. I was so relieved to know that I could and would be safe in my school, and that the staff were making sure that I was protected, and looked after - as ALL KIDS DESERVE to be, by their educational institution! The VP took these threats very seriously, and intervened with the troubled kid, before I was actually attacked. To this day, I will never know what that VP did to set the the would-be-attacker straight. But whatever she did, she put the fear of God into this bully, and I was luckily saved from going through what this child just experienced. The fear I experienced has never left me, and I can only imagine the extreme fear that this child will experience, having his attackers return to the school. THIS IS SO WRONG. These attackers need to be disciplined, and they need to know that in this life, there are consequences to one's actions! Get the bullies out of this school, and get these attackers some professional help. Tell your teachers and your staff to wake up and take notice of what's going on in their own classrooms and school yards. Why did the bus drivers not get out and stop the fight, when the kids on the bus tried to get off of the bus?! I will always remember and honour my teacher and my VP for standing up for me, when I was not able to. Principal Singfield, how you now take action and deal with this situation will define not only yourself, but the school you lead, and the legacy of your time there. Please take action now, or else you will find yourself here again, and the consequences of your inaction may be far more serious.
ReplyDeleteI am a parent of a child at Darcy. My son used to be teased a lot for wearing glasses. It affected him to the point that he stopped wearing them for over a year and couldn't see the blackboard... Bullying is a very serious issue in our schools. From the look of these pictures, this was not just bullying but a physical assault. The aggressors need to be expelled, not given a slap on the wrist. I thought there was a zero tolerance for violence at the WQSB level. I think that a discipline committee should be held and these two bullies should be told to ship out until they have gotten counselling and have proof that they are going to change their ways and that is not going to happen in five days. A five day suspension is insufficient given the gravity of this offence or should I say this assault because that is what it is. The victim should not have to face these bullies ever again. They should be banned.
ReplyDeleteLisa Feig
This degree of violence in our school systems is truly appalling! I don’t think a five day vacation made them think twice about their actions nor would it change their behaviour. I agree with a few of the comments above stating that the bullies photos should be posted up in the school and the victim should get some counselling because it is not his fault. My heart goes out to that boy and any one else who has been bullied. Those bullies need to be taught a lesson. The zero tolerance to bullying with a five day maximum suspension and the maximum referral to a discipline committee hearing is not enough to get through to kids who bully. This may sound a little old fashioned, but take away there free/fun time and let them think about there action and while doing something productive. Perhaps like cleaning up the school halls, garbage, doing custodial work under supervision for a period of time. Maybe then they would think twice before picking on others. The consequences need to be greater to have any impact on how bullies behave.
ReplyDeleteI think this is terrible that these kids are going to be allowed back in the school to possibly do this again to this student or another student. My son was a honour roll child until he was bullied, it was told to us well we have to look at the bullies rights also, I couldn't believe it !! He was bullied so much that he was stress ALL the time he became angry at home and his grades went way down so much that he repeated a year. I firmly believe that legeal messures should be taken and charges must be layed. We made the biggest mistake by not doing it because our son didn't want us to because he was scared that it would make things worse because when he did report it to teachers it did make it worse he was called teachers pet, blabber mouth, so on.
ReplyDeleteMy son has now moved on to college (thank goodness) and is doing much better.
My heart goes out to the family and I hope that George will do something about this and not wait till until something goes wrong AGAIN.....
wow i would be completly furious with the school and the boys who done this to the poor boy i have 3 children and just thought of anyone hurting them makes my stomach upset
ReplyDeleteI recently heard the other side of the story but please don't judge me I still agree that no matter what this was not right ( but there is 2 sides to every story and I was interested to hear it and think that everyone one else should also) but again I was not there I have just read here what was said and I through the grape vine this is what I have heard from the other side.....the victim was mouthing off to the suppose bully #1 so thats what stared the fight bully #2 came out of the school and noticed that bully #1 was his cousin and thought he was being beat up so bully#2 interfered (which he shouldn't have) but he did walk into the school to get someone and went back out and pulled his cousin off the victim....this is the story I have heard....one thing I don't understand is that someone also wrote that there son tried to get off the bus to help but the bus driver wouldn't let him now if the bus driver was there and he/she is an adult why didn't they try to stop it or go into the school and get someone if the bus driver had done so the poor victim probably would not have suffered as much as he did....
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your understanding of the other side of the story. Did you also hear that the two boys had been reprimanded by the school earlier that very day for threatening to beat up the victim on the bus the evening before? Did you also hear that they had been tormenting him about being a 'snitch' after getting in trouble? This was a planned attack from threat to execution.
ReplyDeleteAs to why the bus driver did nothing - that's a very excellent question.
No of course not when you hear it from the grape vine you get bits and pieces but thank you for sharing also.....If the boys had been reprimanded earlier that day the teachers and staff and bus driver should have been notified so that the victim could have been watched closely and were the parents notified earlier that day and advised to come pick up there kids and have a discussion then and there as to what was going on and the victims parents were they notified that these threats where happening....if my child came home and told me that they were being threatened I would demand the school keep a close eye on my child and I would drive them to school and pick them up.....gees there's got to be a solution to all this so it doesn't happen again to anybody else
ReplyDeleteFirst, no matter who said what, you are not allowed to hit someone. If you do, you need to pay the consequences AND you need to get some serious help. That's it!
ReplyDeleteSecond, looking deeper in the situation, kids are not agressive for no reason, by that I mean a social worker should be implicated in this story to investigate the kids (the abusers) backgrounds. They most likely have a violent environment at home. Expelling these kids, which is a serious consequence (one they deserve), will probably not eliminate the agressivity in these children's behavior. The next year when they return to school, if the source of their problem is not «fixed», bullying will start again. Kids learn very quickly from adults behavior. A social worker might discover a lot of things investigating these two abusers. It's the only way to correct their behavior.
My toughts goes to the victim and is familly. Let's hope that the abusers will not only be punished for their actions but also treated for their unappropriate behavior. I'm a health profesionnal and that's what I recommand : expulsion (because they are presently unstable and dangerous) until they get professionnal help.
Mr. Singfield, please take my professionnal advice seriously. Looking at it from a neutral way, the abusers need some evaluation and help according to the results (and not only at school, also at home were they are living). It is your decision to apply the consequence of your choice, but with all do respect, to protect your students and maybe also the abusers, go further then expulsion (you may give these kids very important help). Thank you for your attention and I hope my comment will help in some kind of way.
If schools are serious about all of the no bullying messages in the schools, then they need to back this up with real action. This is disgraceful. In my opinion, there has been very little real change when it comes to bullying despite all of the lip service it is given. Real solutions need to be put into place now.
ReplyDeleteThe principal is as ignorant as they come! How can he justify his lack of action??? Where is the police? Were they called? The agressors need to be evaluated by a professionnal as normal children are unable to assault others like this. These boys lack conscience. They are very dangerous indeed. Imagine when they are older...Someone needs to put a stop to this!!!
ReplyDeleteIt's quite possible that the principal of the school has his hands tied and can do no more without an approval from the board. But if that's the case, Mr. Singfield, then you need to forward every single one of these posts and emails to Mike Dawson so he can see the consequences of the board's policies and make appropriate changes.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who was bullied to the point of changing schools, I still struggle to this day with confidence and self-esteem. Once a friendly, outgoing, straight-A student, I turned to drugs and alcohol and ended up in rehab before I had ever had a legal drink. I attempted to take my own life. I never finished high school. The consequences to the victim in these photos is far reaching, Mr. Singfield. His bruises may heal, but without the right support from not only his family but the school and board, he will not heal emotionally, let alone thrive. He will be too scared to learn as he will always have to watch over his shoulder.
I understand that the assailants are people, too. But they are people who made a grave mistake. There is another english speaking middle school within the board and accessible to the Aylmer sector through public transit. If not expelled, at the very least the assailants should be forced to go to the other school and start anew under strict supervision from the staff, the parents, and a therapist. Let their parents worry about the expense and travel time it takes for them to be educated outside their cachement area. Because if they aren't forced to leave the school, the victim will likely have no other choice -- and isn't he already suffering enough consequences through no fault of his own? Should his family have to shoulder that responsibility?
Do the right thing, George. You owe it to all your students and their parents to live by your word and make this a SAFE SCHOOL. Thank you.
Just terrible. I think counselling is needed for both the victim and the abusers. If the school's hands are tied, take it to the School Board and demand answers from them. I hope the victim is protected from being further attacked.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the principal's hands our THAT tied. He had authority to suspend them for more than 5 days until they think of ways to deal with this matter or how they will protect the victim and the hundred of other students in that school from this bullies. It is what they are, they are bullies who think they can scare anyone because no one will stop them and they are right, apparently no one was able to stop them. The principal should be ashamed of himself. Simply ashamed.
ReplyDeleteI believe these violent students should be removed from school immediately and permanently. This should NOT be tolerated even in the slightest. We must protect the well being of the children at all cost. This is SUPPOSE to be a safe place for learning and socializing our children. UNacceptable!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing to me how many people posting on this site make the assumption that nothing is being done regarding this attack. Do you really think that the school is not concerned about the well-being of the students at the school or that the staff wake up wondering how to make the school a more dangerous place for our children?
ReplyDeleteThe majority of posts seem to suggest expulsion as the answer however how many of you have an answer for what to do with these students after the fact? I suspect not many. How many of the people posting have suggested higher taxes to provide school's with more resources to deal with the increasing complexity of school life or, at the very least, made a constructive suggestion regarding what to do in cases such as this, not a one.
Instead, most people posting are content to jump to conclusions and attack someone who is not in a position that would permit him to defend himself. Sounds a little bit like bullying doesn't it.
Keep up the good work at Symmes Mr. Singfield. There are a lot of us here in Aylmer that know of your continual commitment to our community and your desire to create a safe learning environment for all our children.
Why are you trolling? No one is bullying Mr. Singfield here. We are asking for answers because a violent crime occured at the school. I for one would love for him to post a response or at least answer the private emails that have been sent to him. It says right at the top of this page that he is receiving every post here. Why hasn't he responded to our questions and concerns?
ReplyDeleteDo I think that the school isn't concerned? Of course not. The were concerned enough to give a 5 day suspension for a violent crime. People are expressing concern that this is not adequate for the severity of what happened and asking for answers.
And if you read the posts closely, you'll see that many suggestions have been made for dealing with the abusers including therapy, social workers and long term follow-up. Not just expulsion. They can get their education at another school where their presence doesn't re-traumatize the victim daily. That sounds fair considering adults commiting the same crime would be in jail.
Seriously, how would you suggest they handle it, especially if the victim was your child?
A boy gets ****kicked at school. Parents are concerned and demand answers. In what universe does that make the parents the bullies?
ReplyDeleteNothing addressing this on the school website and nothing has been sent home with the kids. But all the kids know it happened so a good many parents do too. Looks to me like the school is hoping it goes away.
The message here kids??? You can get away with just about anything. And if you're the victim, then it sucks to be you.
Dear Troll-nonymous poster,
ReplyDeleteParents are not bullies because we're demanding answers and want to make sure our kids are in a safe school like Symmes claims to be. These kids have a reputation for being aggressive, and, more importantly, have proven they can be extremely violent on school grounds. These are not boys I want walking the halls of my child's school.
I happen to like Principal Singfield and am in no way attacking his character. In fact, this has nothing to do with how I feel about him on a personal level. I am simply questioning his school's policies and his own decisions in this matter. Who else are we supposed to get answers from?
This isn't about being mean or hurtful. Answering the questions of concerned parents is part of Mr. Singfield's job. Why he hasn't reached out to a community of worried families is beyond me. There are surely ways of doing so that would not betray any confidentiality. An acknowledgement that he hears our collective voice would be a start, even if he can't say much more at the moment.
I, for one, want to see policies changed. Changes are not always pleasant or comfortable for those who have to make them. But again, that is part of the job of a principal. It's not an easy one and I do feel for George Singfield in cases like this.
But I feel for the boy who was beat up far more. In the end he is paying a much bigger price than the policy makers or the aggressors. It's a damn shame.