Student in wounding case to face JC board

In keeping with the Education Regulations of 1980, the Jamaica College (JC) student charged with wounding a classmate last Tuesday is to face the personnel committee of the school’s board, principal Wayne Robinson has revealed.

Following a statement issued by the board on the March 24 incident – which left one boy with a broken nose and the other arrested – Robinson told The Gleaner that proper procedures will be followed, particularly as the matter could become a legal one.

“His record will be assessed and he will likely be placed before the personnel committee of the board. It could mean separation,” he said, referencing Section 30, subsection 1 of the 1980 Regulations.

The regulation states that a principal may suspend a student for up to 10 days if the student’s conduct is deemed detrimental to school discipline or if the student causes injury to staff or another student.

It further outlines that once a student is suspended, the principal must immediately notify the student council and the parent or guardian, and submit a report to the board, stating the reasons for the suspension.

Upon receipt of that report, the board is required to investigate the matter during the suspension period and may then decide to reinstate the student, extend the suspension by up to five additional school days, or permanently exclude the student, with notification to the minister of education.

The regulations also provide that the student and parent or guardian have the right to be present at any hearing, and that any decision may be appealed.

DISPUTE BETWEEN TWO STUDENTS

The situation stems from the March 24 incident in which one student was injured during an altercation with another. While the injured boy’s mother has alleged bullying, the school has pushed back, maintaining that only two boys were involved.

In a statement yesterday, the school rejected media reports suggesting a group attack, stating that its internal investigation – supported by written statements and eyewitness accounts – pointed to a dispute between two students.

According to the school, the incident began when a student, identified as ‘Boy 1’, dropped a $2,000 note while walking towards the lunch venue. Another, identified as ‘Boy 2’, attempted to alert him, but a third, ‘Boy 3’, misunderstanding, picked up the money thinking it was his. When Boy 1 demanded its return, Boy 3 initially resisted, leading to a verbal altercation and pushing and pulling.

The statement indicated that Boy 3 later realised the money was not his and returned it, but tensions escalated. Boy 3 wrote that after handing over the cash, he was punched by Boy 1 “while moving away”. In response, he threw his food, prompting a second punch that resulted in his nose being broken.

Eyewitness accounts indicated that the situation intensified after Boy 3 used expletives and threw food, with Boy 1 retaliating physically.

The school stressed that at no time did the injured boy report being attacked by a group or being subjected to bullying, and that contemporaneous statements do not support such claims.

DOCUMENTATION

Students who witnessed the incident alerted the dean of discipline and assisted in taking the injured boy to the school nurse, who attended to him immediately. His mother was also contacted.

“The school followed its well-established internal protocol,” the statement read, noting that officials interviewed all parties and have since maintained regular contact with the injured student.

Robinson said the school moved swiftly to document the incident, given its potential legal implications.

He added that the injured student, who enrolled at the school in October last year, had no prior reports of bullying.

Reflecting on the incident, Robinson said he reminded students about the importance of unity and discipline.

“I said, ‘Gentlemen, we can’t be fighting over foolishness. You are willing to fight at sporting events and still walk together, yet we fall out over trivial matters. If you fight, you will be in trouble’,” he said.

The school said the board will continue to engage the matter responsibly and through the appropriate channels.

erica.virtue@gleanerjm.com