A Boston Public Schools student allegedly assaulted a school employee Tuesday morning in front of multiple people, school officials said.
The staffer was attacked while trying to de-escalate an altercation between students at the Dr. William Henderson K-12 Inclusion School in Dorchester. In a letter to the school community, interim head of school Stephanie Sibley said the employee was treated by the school nurse and then taken to a local hospital. School officials haven't identified the staffer or said what kind of injuries they sustained but they did say they are not life-threatening.
According to Sibley, other school staff and BPS safety services, including emergency management and the Boston school police, quickly assisted with deescalating the incident. Sibley did not disclose in her letter what led to the physical assault at the school but said multiple students witnessed it.
Sibley also said the student involved will be disciplined in accordance with the district's code of conduct. Additional disciplinary action from law enforcement is also possible, she added.
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"The Henderson and all Boston Public Schools are committed to fostering environments where all students and staff feel safe, welcome, and respected," Sibley wrote, noting that the "important update" was sent to families as part of the school's commitment to open communication and transparency. "Please know the safety and security of all students and staff is one of our most important priorities."
Superintendent Mary Skipper reiterated that incidents like this are unacceptable, and said district officials will continue to work with the Henderson School.
Social workers will be on site Wednesday to provide support as needed, and parents were urged to contact school officials with any concerns.
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Sibley said the department of safety services is working with Boston police to follow up on the investigation.
Henderson is an early childhood through grade 12 school where students who have disabilities learn in general education classrooms with their non-disabled peers, according to the school's website.
This is not the first time a staff member has been attacked at the Dorchester school. Then-principal Patricia Lampron and another staff member were attacked in November 2021. Lampron was beaten and left unconscious. She was knocked Lampron out for several minutes and didn't know where she was when she came to. She was taken to Brigham and Women's Hospital for treatment of serious, but non-life threatening injuries, and classes were canceled for the rest of the week.
Then-superintendent Brenda Cassellius said after the incident that this kind of violent behavior would not be tolerated, adding that the health, safety and well-being of students and staff is top priority for Boston Public Schools.
A 16-year-old girl was arrested in that case and later faced charges as a youthful offender in Dorchester court.
