This didn’t happen in Newton but it’s the kind of story that makes parents’ hearts ache and tempers flare. Or at least that’s what it did to me. I’d like to believe that our administrators in Newton are far more responsive (than this girls allege about Concord-Carlisle administrators) when our students feel unsafe, and I have no reason to think otherwise. But I have no idea if the bullying in Newton is equivalent to anything that this girl experienced in Concord-Carlisle. Maybe this is one isolated case in C-C, or maybe this is indicative of a small — but potent — fraction of teenage behavior.
I’m glad Isabella Hankey has filed a lawsuit against the school district. If nothing else, it will make other districts pay attention. But, will it accomplish more than that? Will it apply pressure to the legislature to make the anti-bullying law stronger?
I read the story and I find it odd.
First, if laws could prevent things from happening, we wouldn’t have any crime. Stronger anti-bullying laws would not have done anything in this case. Laws are only as good as your ability to catch a lawbreaker, and she still doesn’t know who did it. This sounds to me like a kind of dysfunctional individual who had an issue with this girl, and probably would do these things as long as they could be done secretly. An issue of jealously perhaps that was triggered by the birthday gift of a car.
Second, my personal definition of “bullying”, and the kind that would be addressed by stronger laws, is more like a kid getting pushed around, verbally or physically, in the school by bigger kids in order to have some kind of fun and to build up their own egos that they aren’t the object of bullying, or achieve some kind of self-aggrandizement with peers. Then you know who it is, and who is subject to the legal ramifications. This case was different.
Last, this seems to me to be a criminal case. Her car was vandalized. Her life was threatened. There’s a reference to police being involved, but no reason given for why they didn’t act on it, and seemed to leave it to the school. They are culpable more than the school.
The story is kind of weird, and I wouldn’t take it as indicating a need for legislation, or even more cameras or other measures. It’s an individual type of case that needs to be dealt with for what it is.
Barry – Bullying is not just pushing a kid around or stealing his lunch money anymore. That’s the whole point of the existing anti-bullying law. Obviously laws can’t prevent things from happening, but sometimes can be deterrents, if they’re enforced.
There probably is more to this story than we know — there usually is.
It sounds like the administration did NOTHING to help her. . . the assistant principal who she asked for help no longer works there (is that related) and supposedly destroyed his files! With school officials like that there is NO hope. We have laws, but we need the administration to follow the laws.
In my experience with one of the Newton elementary schools, this past year, was amazing. A case of bullying was reported and the team that came together really helped. (This wasn’t the case four years ago.) I was really impressed at how serious the principal took the incident, and how the classroom teacher handled everything.
@Barry – The experiences of parents I know (around the country, not just in MA) is that if you go to the police with something like this they refer it back to the schools. Not only with student-on-student situations, but also when staff abuse students.
Gail — What I see here is a sad story. In your newspaper world, there are thousands of sad stories each and every day, correct? Just a few get coverage. The lawyer (well-known Timothy Burke) is helping his client by contacting the Globe and getting select coverage. Excellent work by him, but isn’t the Globe being used for a purpose?
With tort limits and municipal immunity it’s likely that the purpose here is to drain the school district in time spent and legal fees to agree on a settlement – not success in any court. I feel sorry for kids that are at abused both at school and at home, particularly those without a voice . Our heart strings are being played with here (by a lawyer using a newspaper) for a purpose and that is certainly not to get statewide rule change.
Feels like the “haves” are being favored w coverage with deeper abuses with the “have nots” get no where
@Gail – we need better enforcement of the existing anti-bullying laws (which are only a few years old).
So, I say again, if she has no idea, after all her experiences, who did this, including using a private detective, how does a different law help in a situation like this? You can’t prosecute someone that you can’t identify.
Folks, you ought to read the lawsuit before commenting. The Globe story isn’t enough. When I first read the headline and the story, I was astounded that the family would file a lawsuit. After reading the lawsuit, I am so glad that they did!
@Barry Cohen – The group of kids who were involved were identified by several people – one girl even publicly bragged about it. The administration were completely negligent – it appears they never even questioned those allegedly involved.
@Hoss – this case warrants media attention because there’s a $2M lawsuit involved – that’s newsworthy. It’s useful for parents to understand the details of what happened in the case.
Okay, Newton Mom 2,
You’ve added something we didn’t know. So, again, since there are already laws about this, including in my mind criminal laws about vandalism and death threats, then (a) why didn’t the police do something, and (b) how would more laws help? Enforcement of the current laws seems called for here, and wasn’t done.
The school administration is not a police force. The only power they have, it seems to me, is to suspend or expel problem students. They can’t administer punishment like a court. And, since according to the article this seems not to be a common occurrence and students feel safe, why do we need more laws or even better enforcement? We have a crime, crimes happen every day, and the police need to deal with it.
The first time my son I(who was in first grade) was bullied (for years ago), the school did nothing of substance (another kid punched my kid for no reason). When I threatened to go to the police, it was a non issue. . . . nothing was going to happen.
This year in fifth grade there was cyber bullying and the team convened more than once, and had a good plan of action. And we met anytime it was mentioned in class. In between time #1 and time #2 laws changed, and the school was responsible.
In the CC the administrator who left, did not act, and follow the law. . . . . .
Newton Mom — Just curious, why would you not tell the parents of the offending kids? Is that what the school needs to do?
By the way, Gail, you said
“Barry – Bullying is not just pushing a kid around or stealing his lunch money anymore. That’s the whole point of the existing anti-bullying law.”
Can you explain what it is, and what the existing anti-bullying law’s point is? If you mean verbal harassment, I’d agree that it’s a problem, and that kind should be handled by the school, perhaps by expelling a guilty student. But, the case here is to me criminal in nature, especially given the age of the kids. It isn’t like 7-year-olds in elementary school.
Hoss,
In my first experience, the school REFUSED to tell me who PUNCHED my kid. I found out eventually through the parent grapevine, but the school absolutely refused to tell me not only who punched my first grader (who was sitting down and minding his own business ) but what any punishment was.
The second time the kid touched my kid I threatened police involvement. They refused to tell me what the kids name was or the punishment, other than the child could not be alone and if the puncher needed to use the bathroom, the aide had to make sure no other child was in the bathroom before the puncher was allowed to go inside.
This kid was a METCO kid, and I was angry that this child was allowed to continue at NPS. Four years later, whatever the school has done, worked and he is no longer physically hitting or punching other students.
But had the new law been in affect four years ago, I am sure that the school would have reacted differently.
BTW, the only reason I heard about my son being harmed, was that at 6 PM that day I got a phone call from the teacher (yes, 6 PM). My son has special needs and did not tell me about it because it wasn’t his fault . . . .
Newton Mom — I guess if there’s punching in 1st grade, there could be problems at home, so glad you didn’t call someone you didn’t know.
This probably isn’t meaningful to you — but I remember in 2nd grade the teacher asked us to share gifts at xmas. My mom and I went to the store and bought a puzzle as a gift and wrapped it. I gave it to my assigned kid and the kid gave me a used baseball, unwrapped. I was stupid enough to show my friends this — glad the kid didn’t teach me a lesson. Anyway, I remember this because the kid was from “the projects” as we called it then. Sometimes we don’t get the entire picture on what the conflict is about
Hoss,
The school should have handled it better, and I understand the need to protect privacy, however my kid didn’t want to get punched.
I am really glad that the laws did change, so when there was cyber bullying going on, the school was much more proactive.
I feel TERRIBLE for the girl in CC. She told an administrator and so did her parents. They did what they were supposed to do. Anyone can have an opinion on the law, however it is the administrators JOB and RESPONSIBILITY to follow the law, and that guy did not. Even if he thought the bullying law wasn’t a good law, his job required him to do something and he did not.
And now with email, texting, FB and others, families need to know what is going on. It might not be a physical hit anymore, but terrorizing another student is never acceptable.
PS – good thing the kid didn’t throw the baseball at you! We all learn our lessons, but some of them hurt more than others.
If this situation occurred as the Globe reported, the perpetrator broke the law at which point it became a legal issue. The article does not indicate what communication occurred between the school and the police – there could have been ongoing communication or none. Who’s to know from what was been published in the paper? This article was inadequate at best.
Having just read all of the exhibits attached to the complaint filed by Ms. Hankey, I would answer the above question “no”. The police in this matter have actively investigated all of the claims, including interviewing possible suspects – at the police station, with Miranda warnings, taking hand-writing examplars from sophomore and junior students, reviewing video surveillance footage at other locations where vandalism allegedly took place, documenting and photographing all of the vandalism and attempting to process the bathroom stalls for evidence (with negative results), etc. There are some very troubling details in the documents, including descriptions of two separate incidents where the car was allegedly vandalized (not at the high school) where video surveillance cameras both times showed no one went near the vehicle. Indeed, on one of those occasions Ms. Hankey was away from her vehicle for minutes and was certain the vandalism had not occurred previously. The investigation was also certainly hampered by the simple fact that the victim has repeatedly insisted to the police that she has absolutely no idea who would be doing this to her. I understand that her parents are, of course, frustrated by the fact that the case was not resolved but I do not believe that either the school administration or the police were indifferent to this matter. I would also point out that there are quite a few students who have been scrutinized intensely, who have been living under suspicion and subjected to interrogation by the police and questioning by school authorities. Perhaps there is an intense code of silence among the students at this school, but I think this case demonstrates the phrase “hard cases make bad law”. This family is frustrated because the school did not solve this case, but solving crimes is a matter for the police, not schools. JMHO
Lisap,
Interesting information. To be honest, when I read the article, I almost suspected that this was a girl who was somehow involved herself. There’s no information that suggests she has emotional issues, but the series of facts you present seems to lean more in the direction of her. No proof, but, as I said in the first comment on this blog
“The story is kind of weird, and I wouldn’t take it as indicating a need for legislation, or even more cameras or other measures. It’s an individual type of case that needs to be dealt with for what it is.”
It’s always great to have Lisap’s perspective on any legal matter. Thanks!
Gail, you are most welcome.