student attacked staff member at Dorchester school

Crime

The police report about the incident said the student knocked a paraprofessional unconscious and chipped the staffer’s tooth.

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A student at a Dorchester school attacked a school staff member Tuesday, rendering the staffer unconscious, according to a police report on the incident.

The report said that around 11:30 a.m., a paraprofessional at the William Henderson Upper School overheard a male student saying something inappropriate about another student.

When the paraprofessional approached the student about what he had said, “words were exchanged,” and the student pushed the paraprofessional twice, the report said. The student then held on to the front of the paraprofessional’s shirt and wouldn’t let go.

At some point during the attack, the report said, the paraprofessional fell to the floor and lost consciousness for at least a minute. He also chipped a tooth as a result of the attack.

It took a few minutes and three or four staff members to pull the student off the paraprofessional, according to the report. Once the staffer became conscious, he drove himself to a hospital with another staff member, the report stated.

Police were not notified of the incident until 2:30 p.m. when Boston Public Schools (BPS) Safety Services called them to report the assault, the report said.

Interim Head of School Stephanie Sibley said in a letter to parents Tuesday that the student will face disciplinary action in accordance with the Boston Public Schools Code of Conduct, WCVB reported. She reportedly said the student could face criminal charges as well.

Previous incidents at the Henderson School

This wouldn’t be the first time a Henderson School student faced charges after allegedly attacking a staff member. In November 2021, a 16-year-old girl punched the school’s principal and another staff member during school dismissal, knocking the principal out and leaving her with a concussion and broken ribs.

The girl was arraigned on assault and battery charges, and later indicted as a youthful offender.

Henderson School students also made headlines twice already this year for reportedly eating edibles at school during two separate incidents.

The first incident was in March, and the second occurred in May. Both times, students were taken to hospitals out of an abundance of caution.