In the public participation segment of the Silver Lake Regional School Committee meeting April 9, two parents addressed the board seeking explanations and assurances that their young children were safe at the Kingston Elementary School. George Egan from Kingston said in light of the reported assault by a student on a kindergarten student in the bathroom, he is against laying off any staff. The incident took place in 2022 but is just now coming to light.
The victim was using the bathroom when an assailant came into the stall by climbing under the door. He reportedly pushed the girl down and kissed her. Egan claimed that the incident was brushed under the rug by the school and was not made public. He also stated that the same two students were later involved in a similar assault, and a third incident took place with the first victim’s sister, also a kindergarten student. The assailant is in school, “two doors down” from the victim.
The mother of the victims was distraught, saying that she just found out that that someone else went up to her kindergarten daughter under the stall door in the restroom. Both parents said that incidents are also happening at the middle and high school levels. Egan stated that as a parent, he wants to have a reasonable expectation that we are going to be told if there’s an issue or a reasonable expectation that our kids are being supervised properly in school.
Superintendent Jill Proulx said that disciplinary actions are private and handled according to state law and the student handbook.
“Where is the line?” Egan said, pointing out that if there was a gun or knife incident at school parents are made instantly aware, but yet if there is a sexual assault it’s a privacy matter.
Proulx replied that the incidents were properly handled and reported.