WALDOBORO, Maine — A freshman at Medomak Valley High School was attacked Wednesday afternoon in a vicious assault captured on video.
The father of the child, who is not being named to protect the privacy of the student, said bullying is rampant in the schools.
The assault occurred outside the school as students were getting on buses. The video shows a larger male student knocking down a smaller male and then repeatedly punching him in the head. Nearby students did not intervene, with some watching and others walking by the assault. Two adults are seen rushing to the scene and the assailant got up and walked away as one of the adults directed him to go to the office.
The father said this was the fourth time his son has been assaulted at the school since classes started this year.
“They have posters throughout the school, saying bullying is not tolerated but they don’t do anything,” the father said.
He said, in one instance, a junior in the gym picked up his son and threw him to the floor, breaking his son’s cellphone. In another, a girl came up from behind him in the hallway and knocked him to the floor.
The father said he is frustrated with the lack of action by the school resource officer throughout the year. He said the officer asked his son if he did anything to provoke the assault and that is trying to shift the blame to the victim.
A student filmed the Wednesday assault and shared it on social media.
Regional School Unit 40 Superintendent Thomas Ambrose issued a letter to parents Thursday morning
“I want to thank everyone who reached out to me about the fight at the high school yesterday. I’m writing this letter to let everyone know the following: 1. Fighting and violence at RSU 40 will not be tolerated. 2. There will be consequences for students who have violated our code of conduct or district policies once the investigation is complete. 3. We are working in collaboration with law-enforcement and our attorney to make sure that the investigation is conducted appropriately and that laws and policies for student behavior and discipline are being implemented appropriately. I’ve received some questions about the process for communication when an incident like this occurs. It is important to remember that students are protected by State and federal privacy laws including FERPA: the Federal Education Rights to Privacy Act. It is very likely that little to no information about the discipline or consequences for situations like this will be shared publicly. Students have a right to confidentiality, and this right often causes people to think that things are being swept under the rug or not addressed. I want to assure everyone that is not the case and we will be dealing with the discipline aspects of this situation as soon as the investigation is complete. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at any time. My email address is Thomas_Ambrose@rsu40.org,” the letter stated.
Medomak serves students from Waldoboro, Friendship, Warren, Union and Washington.
This story appears through a media partnership with Midcoast Villager.