Concerned parents say police are not doing enough to curb recent incidents of bullying connected to an Oshawa public school.
The incidents are connected to Waverly Public School, located in the King Street and Thornton road area.
Earlier this week, a nine-year-old boy was reportedly beaten up by two others in a fight that took place off school property.
The child’s mother says the incident, which happened shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday, has left her devastated.
“The boys were kicking him, punching him in the head, stomping on him, (and using) homophobic slurs,” the woman, who asked only to be identified as Penny, told CTV Toronto Friday.
She said the incident left the boy in hospital for X-rays and ultrasounds. She said that while the physical evidence of the beating – some bumps and bruises – will disappear over time, she is concerned for what the lasting emotional impact may be.
“He wakes up every night with nightmares,” she said. “He screams in his sleep, he cries.”
Another parent who intervened to break up the attack described it in a social media post this week.
“Just witnessed (first hand) how hateful and cruel some people can be against others for being different,” Samantha Mikolay wrote on Facebook.
She said she came across the three boys “kicking the crap” out of the child while out walking her dog.
Other parents have expressed similar concerns with bullying incidents connected to the school.
“I am disappointed to see that the major breakdown in actions to justice in this situation so far seem to be from (Durham police),” Mandy Schenk wrote on Facebook.
The blame for the lack of action, she said, rests at the feet of police, not the school.
“The school is being diligent in ensuring the safety of children at Waverly to the best of their capabilities, and even offered to have a social worker come in to talk to our kids about what happened,” she said.
Multiple calls to police – from multiple concerned parents – to voice concerns have gone unanswered, Schenk said.
“Each time we would get passed around to voicemail the phone would disconnect before we got to leave a message,” she wrote.
“(Parents) are really hoping that this unfortunate event will start productive communication between the police, school, board and (Children’s Aid Society),” Schenk said in an email to CTV Toronto Friday.
Police would not comment on the incident when contacted by CTV Toronto Friday, but said that under Canadian law persons under the age of 12 cannot be charged because they cannot be held criminally responsible.
A representative with the Durham District School Board confirmed that they had investigated an incident that involved a student earlier this week.
The board would not comment on what, if any, actions had been taken by the school, communications representative Terri-Lee Sanford said.
“If they’re old enough to beat someone up, then they’re old enough for the punishment,” Penny said.
“It sickens me and upsets me.”
