MARLBORO, Mass. — A Marlborough father is seeking justice for his 11-year-old after he said his child was assaulted by another student at Whitcomb Middle School for being transgender.
Brian Parmenter said his child had been bullied for years, but it had never gotten physical until recently.
“We were hoping this year, new school, hopefully a new crowd of people, and somehow the second week of school, this kid found my child and caught them in the hallway and openly sideswiped them and started assaulting them. Physically assaulting them and then verbally assaulting them until it sent my child home in tears,” Parmenter said. “He started saying ‘Well, you’re not good at being a boy, you shouldn’t be one ever.’”
Parmenter said transphobic slurs were also used and his child was so upset when it happened on Sept. 4 that he had to pick them up early from school.
“Seething, seething. I mean I went so angerly down to the school and I started yelling and rightfully so, it’s not fair that this is happening,” Parmenter remembered.
After Marlborough Public Schools said they couldn’t discuss next steps with him and wouldn’t show him the video of the assault happening, Parmenter went to the Marlborough Police Department to press charges against the student who allegedly hurt his child.
“Only to find out, there’s nothing I can do about it,” Parmenter said.
In 2018, Massachusetts changed the minimum age for criminal responsibility from 7 to 12-years-old, meaning Parmenter can’t press charges because his child and the other student are only 11-years-old.
“It’s frustrating, it’s downright frustrating. The simple fact that 6-months and the police would’ve taken this in on their own,” Parmenter said.
The father is doing everything in his power to try and get justice for his child but feels as though he’s running out of options.
“I went to the school department first, I went to the police department next, I even tried getting on the school committee last night,” Parmenter said.
Marlborough Public Schools wrote in a statement, “We are committed to promoting an inclusive environment. We do not tolerate bullying or harassment based on gender identity or expression, physical appearance, sex, sexual orientation or any other actual or perceived differentiating characteristics. We have clear procedures in place for reporting discrimination, bullying and harassment. These procedures are shared with all staff, parents and students at the beginning of each school year and are also available on our website. All reports are investigated promptly, and we communicate our findings while ensuring the privacy and confidentiality of all individuals involved. Due to our legal obligations regarding confidentiality, we are unable to share specific details about reported incidents.”
Between what Parmenter describes as the district’s lack of transparency and the police department not being able to do anything, the father doesn’t know where to go next,
“My child used to love school and now they don’t even look forward to going. It’s a fight every day to get them to go. It’s a fight every morning to get them to get dressed to go to school because what do they have to look forward to? More being made fun of? More being assaulted? More of the school not doing anything? More of the cops not doing anything?” Parmenter questioned.
While Parmenter said the district wasn’t much help, he said the school principal assured him that his child and the other student wouldn’t cross paths anymore. Moving forward, the father said he plans on filing discrimination complaints with the state of Massachusetts since the law prevents him from pressing charges.
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