Parents want answers after Pennbrook Middle School student hit with Stanley cup
LANSDALE, Pa. (CBS) -- Parents rallied outside the North Penn School District central office building Tuesday, asking for answers after a middle school student was reportedly attacked with a Stanley cup last week.
School officials said the seventh grader was attacked during lunch on April 17 at Pennbrook Middle School.
The injured student was taken to the hospital and is currently recovering at home. Meanwhile, officials said the 13-year-old reportedly responsible is facing aggravated assault and other charges.
The incident startled parents, who told CBS News Philadelphia their children called them in tears after the attack.
"I saw tons of kids come out those doors into their parents' arms hysterically crying, scared, sad for what happened to their friend. They shouldn't have had to witness this. I just want answers," Stephanie Palovcak, a school district parent, said.
On Monday, parents said students at the school wore red in solidarity with the injured student, and on Tuesday parents walked alongside the district building, holding up signs with messages like "Our children deserve better."
Many of them met for the first time at a forum held last Thursday to discuss the incident.
"We wanted to just take action. Somehow we knew that we couldn't trust them to just do the investigation and just carry it out the right way, so we just came together and said we're going to do a protest," Nicole Brown, the parent of a Pennbrook Middle School student, said.
North Penn School Superintendent Todd Bauer released a statement that reads in part, "The district is collaborating with our local law enforcement and their investigation as we work to ensure that something like this cannot happen again in our schools. Such behavior has no place in our schools. You expect better, we expect better and certainly I do as well."
Additionally, the district has requested more visits from local police departments to all its buildings.
Bauer said he can't comment about punishment for the student accused in the attack, citing due process.
When asked for a response to Tuesday's rally, his office sent CBS News Philadelphia the following statement.
"We of course are aware of the planned protest and do want to hear concerns. Our superintendent has spoken with the organizer, has offered to meet in person and that meeting is scheduled. The only information we can release at this point regarding last week's incident in particular is posted to our website. If there is to be any further information, details, updates, we will post that to npenn.org as well."
