LANSDALE, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — The North Penn School Board, at its regular meeting Thursday night, approved the hiring of a law firm to investigate last month’s student attack on a seventh-grader at Pennbrook Middle School. Parents again express frustration at district officials for how they have been handling the incident.
The board unanimously approved the hiring of Stock and Leader Attorneys at Law, a York, Pennsylvania-based firm that does business with school districts and local governments.
“The investigation is certainly designed to look at the incident itself as well as the events leading up to it,” said North Penn Solicitor Kyle Somers.
The lead investigator’s expertise includes special education, student and pupil services, compliance monitoring, and student discipline, Somers said. “The independent third-party firm is also being asked to make recommendations and provide resources to ensure that a similar incident does not occur again in the future.”
The unprovoked attack happened in the Pennbrook cafeteria on April 17, when a 13-year-old student smashed a metal Stanley tumbler over the head of another seventh-grader, police said. The victim was hospitalized. The alleged attacker was charged as a juvenile with aggravated assault and other offenses, Upper Gwynedd police said.
Angry and concerned parents have said students warned school officials that the 13-year-old was planning the attack and exhibited alarming behavior ahead of time, but nothing was done.
“[Students] told teachers,” one parent said at Thursday night’s meeting. “They tried to reach out to somebody. They told me nothing was done because they had no proof.”
“You’re failing with keeping our kids safe,” exclaimed another parent. “You guys really gotta step up your game and start doing better. Seriously!”
Parents have held rallies demanding accountability from the district and seeking answers. One mother gave them a stern warning: “Summer vacation is coming and you guys probably think we’re all gonna forget about this. You’re all gonna hide under a rock for the summer. Guess what? This face — you’re gonna continue to see.”
Earlier this week, the district held a school safety forum with district and local law enforcement officials. North Penn Superintendent Todd Bauer said security and police visibility have also increased at all district schools since the incident.