From KMGH in Denver:
Denver – A 13-year-old Denver girl said she was threatened with a knife at her middle school and her hair was set on fire, yet she was the one who was told to stay home for the remainder of the school year while her alleged attacker wasn’t suspended or even investigated.
Courtney Glowczewski has a small right arm and leg because of cerebral palsy, a disability that her teachers say has not kept her from working hard in school and being a good student.
But her physical appearance has made her a target of taunting and of physical attack, which she said has never been addressed by the administration at Martin Luther King Middle School.
Last week, she said the bullying got worse when she said she was threatened and assaulted by a seventh-grade boy.
“He pulled out a knife, a silver knife, a pocket knife, and then he said ‘What!?’ So I was scared and didn’t know what to do,” said Glowczewski.
As she walked to her seat she smelled smoke and one of her classmates was patting her hard on the back. Her hair was on fire and the other student said that she was trying to help put it out.
Her mother, Sherrie, was called to school when her daughter reported the incident to the assistant principal.
Sherrie Glowczewski was outraged when she was told by the administration at Martin Luther King that her daughter didn’t need to come back and not to worry about the tests.Are you pissed off yet?
KMGH-TV discovered that while Glowczewski was sent home, her alleged attacker is still in school, even though administrators confirmed he had a knife.
The principal has now admitted her staff did not call police, did not interview potential witnesses and did not conduct a proper investigation.Send your cards and letters to:
Director of Public Information
Denver Public Schools
mark_stevens@dpsk12.org
(303) 764-3414
Ironic too, that this is occuring at a school named for Dr. King, huh? I sent my email of disgust, too bad that it won’t really help this girl but maybe it will help the next one… too sad.
I actaully received a reply! IT seems that they have now taken appropriate measures.
************************************
Dear Aaron,
Thanks for your e-mail and your concern.
There were a series of serious lapses in process in the way in which this incident was handled. The student has since been disciplined. And the student being harrassed should have been encouraged to stay in school and should have been provided with a safe, supportive learning environment.
One of the district’s three goals is to set high expectations for students and staff (and parents and community members as well) and this series of events fell far short of that goal.
I’m attaching below a copy of the Board of Education’s policy on bullying just so you know that our standards on this issue – and procedures for dealing with it – are clearly stated.
Sincerely,
Mark Stevens
303-764-3414
The most surprising aspect is a seemingly lackadaisical view on weapons in a school so close to Columbine.