The state Department of Children and Families determined there was a case of neglect at the school.
Kathleen WangHADLEY - The Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School Monday reinstated the school principal and a teacher after each completed a one-week suspension following a state finding of neglect at the school last month.
The suspensions stem from a March 25 incident when a child was confined to a room for 7 hours and only allowed to leave to use the bathroom and eat lunch. The incident took place March 25.
The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, meanwhile, is now reviewing the report on the incident, said Jonathan Considine, a spokesman for the agency. “We will complete a very thorough review of the situation and then determine what action is appropriate to take,” Considine said.
The Department of Children and Families sent its findings to the education department for further review because the neglect occurred at a school, a spokeswoman said. That agency would not impose sanctions.
But in keeping with school policy the charter school last week suspended principal Kathleen Wang and the classroom teacher. The school’s Board of Trustees unanimously voted to reinstate both Monday, according to a statement from Richard Alcorn, the school’s executive director.
In an email, he said that school policy “required immediate suspension.” The two were reinstated with back pay and indemnification, he wrote.
Acorn said the child had been removed from class because of bullying.
“Bullying is a serious issue, and when such situations arise we are legally responsible for ensuring that a safe environment is maintained. We continue to believe that the steps taken by school officials were appropriate, and consistent with these responsibilities,” Alcorn wrote.
Northampton lawyer Thomas Lesser, who is representing the boy and his family, said “there was no prior history of any behavioral issues involving the young man.” He added that “the school violated its own handbook (of) not discussing the discipline with the parents prior to imposing it. Unfortunately the school continues to refuse to acknowledge that the discipline it imposed this third grader is inappropriate.”
He also said that the boy spent the majority of his time alone not with one-on-one supervision.
The investigation into the incident began after the boy’s physician notified the state following the incident, Lesser said.
Lesser said the family is focusing its attention on ensuring the child gets his proper education, as he has not returned to the school since the incident. Both the boy’s physician and therapist recommended against the boy returning to the school, he said.
Earlier this month, 144 parents and guardians of children attending the school signed a letter praising the school that was sent to several area newspapers, including The Republican. The letter stated, in part, “for the past four years, the Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School has provided our children with an innovative educational opportunity without parallel in Western New England.”
Alcorn said that “interest in the school seems undiminished.”