Parents Claim School Department Didn’t Respond To Bullying

The New Bedford School Committee heard from parents at the Jireh Swift Elementary School during their meeting last week.

The parents told committee members that the school department didn't promptly address an issue involving a disruptive fourth grade student.

Janele Goldman, told WBSM's Brian Thomas, that her daughter was in the same class as that student and that the child's behavior created daily disruptions in the classroom.

"Everyday she would come from school and I would say 'how was your day' and it wasn't 'oh I did this today or I did that today' it was 'oh guess what so and so did today she did this to this one and she did that to that one and we couldn't finish our homework directions and we couldn't do this' and I'm like this is going on way too much," said Goldman.

Goldman's husband David said that this student's behavior went beyond the pale of what is tolerable in a classroom environment.

"The student in question had some violent outburts, one in which she bit an adjustment councilor," said Goldman "at that point in time your protocols, your guidelines, and everything that you've tried to follow need to go out the window and you need to expedite to get that student the help that they deserve."

Jennifer Duarte said her son was hit by this student several times and that action needed to be taken both for the other students involved and so that the disruptive student can get the help she needs.

"The administration turned this into the parents against this child and that's not what this was about, all the children need help ," said Duarte "the children that are there to learn, need to learn, and the children that can't, regardless of why they can't their needs need to be met."

While saying he couldn't comment on a specific case due to student privacy laws School Department spokesman Jonathan Carvalho said the school department strives to meet the needs of all New Bedford students.

Carvalho also added that those who don't believe their concerns are being properly addressed by school administrators can file a complaint with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.