New Bedford charter school bullying incident being investigated by U.S. Dept. of Ed

Frank Mulligan, The Standard-Times
Updated ·2 min read

NEW BEDFORD — The U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights is investigating whether a city charter school failed to respond appropriately to a complaint that a fourth grader was being harassed by older students based on race/color.

The complaint was made by Leida Rodrigues in June after a video taken by another student was posted in which her 10-year-old son was slapped twice in the face by an older boy on a school bus.

They are students at the Alma del Mar Charter School's Frederick Douglass Campus.

Rodrigues said it was not the first time her son had been targeted by older middle school students.

Rodrigues said school officials didn't seem to be taking the matter seriously until they saw the video, which was on Snapchat.

In this photo a school bus drives onto the Alma del Mar Charter School's Frederick Douglass Campus. The complaint under investigation was made by Leida Rodrigues in June after a video taken by another student was posted in which her 10-year-old son was slapped twice in the face by an older boy on a school bus.
In this photo a school bus drives onto the Alma del Mar Charter School's Frederick Douglass Campus. The complaint under investigation was made by Leida Rodrigues in June after a video taken by another student was posted in which her 10-year-old son was slapped twice in the face by an older boy on a school bus.

She said her son's three tormentors are Hispanic, and he is Cape Verdean, which might have played a role.

U.S. Dept. of Education Office of Civil Rights investigating incident

She was told prompt resolution to the complaint is the goal, and that mediation between the parties is available, in a letter from the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights.

The letter stated the investigation does not indicate the office has made any determination yet.

EF1 tornado in Mattapoisett: What to know about 95 mph destructive winds on North Street

The OCR is not investigating two other allegations — that the school failed to respond appropriately to allegations the child was being harassed by older students based on age and that the school treated her sondifferently based on race/color in its response to reports of harassment.

The OCR stated the Age Act did not appear to have been violated and it had not received sufficient information to support an investigation into the third allegation.

Alma del Mar school official comments

Contacted for comment, Alma del Mar Director of Development Becca Kurie stated, "Alma del Mar continues to participate fully in any investigation involving our school community. We remain committed to prioritizing the safety and well being of our scholars and staff while also striving to continue to improve our procedures and policies when deemed necessary."

ON SCREEN: 15-year old New Bedford actor plays the son of iconic 'Sex and the City' character on the reboot

The school had previously issued the following statement, "Disciplinary action will be taken against any of our scholars who are found to have played a role in this incident. Alma del Mar takes the safety of our scholars very seriously, and we are committed to partnering with our families to ensure a safe and productive environment for all children."

Rodrigues said charges had also been filed in connection with the incident. The Bristol County District Attorney's Office declined to comment whether or not any charges had been filed because the case involves minors.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Racial role in New Bedford bullying incident under investigation