BRUNSWICK
A state commission has ruled that the Brunswick School District should have done more to prevent the alleged bullying of one of its students at Brunswick Junior High School.
The five-member commission, in a 3-2 vote, decided there was “reasonable grounds to believe discrimination occurred,” according to Amy Sneirson, executive director of the Maine Human Rights Commission.
The commission was acting on a recommendation included in an investigator’s report that stated there is an even chance that allegations, including assault and harassment at the hands of other students, could be proven in court.
Efforts to reach Brunswick Superintendent Paul Perzanoski and assistant Superintendent Greg Bartlett were unsuccessful Tuesday.
According to The Associated Press, Perzanoski said in a statement that he disagreed with the commission’s finding and the school “moved quickly and decisively” in response to all complaints.
Maine statute now requires both parties to head into a conciliation process mediated by the commission that represents the public’s interest. If the conciliation process is unsuccessful, the complainant can file a lawsuit in state or federal court within 90 days, said Sneirson.
The mother of the former student alleges that between August 2010 and August 2012 her son was subjected to repeated instances of bullying and harassment due to his “perceived sexual orientation” that went to such extremes that the boy became suicidal, according to the investigator’s report released June 13.
The report noted that the school district did take corrective action and had good anti-bullying policies in place, but that it didn’t do enough.
The boy is now 15, according to the AP.
He stopped attending Brunswick Junior High School, after telling his mother in October 2012 that he had been sexually assaulted three times between 2011 and 2012, according to the investigator’s report.
The boy was admitted to the hospital in December 2012 for “suicidal ideation,” after which he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the sexual assaults, according to the report.
No criminal charges were ever filed as a result, however.
In early 2013, an agreement was signed with the superintendent’s office to allow the boy to attend a different school district.
In a June interview with The Times Record, Perzanoski noted that the district’s anti-bullying program had been recognized by the state as a model for bullying prevention.
“My administration spent an awful lot of time and effort” in addressing the student’s concerns, said Perzanoski said at the time.
jswinconeck@timesrecord.com
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