After a fifth-grader walking home from school was stabbed by another student within blocks of a middle school they both attend in Perth Amboy, parents, students and teachers are blaming the incident on the school district’s alleged inaction over persistent violence and other alleged bullying at the school.
According to a teacher at the Samuel E. Shull school, who did not want to be identified out of fear of retaliation, the school has been plagued with violence for years. The teacher said she knew both the victim and the student who stabbed him and described them both as good kids, but said one did not get the support he needed, despite warning signs.
The attack led to a walkout by students and a protest by parents calling for change, specifically from Perth Amboy Board of Education’s Superintendent Dr. David Roman.
In a joint statement, the superintendent and Perth Amboy Board of Education said, ” …Our school community has been continuously under attack, even though the incident did not occur on school grounds or under school supervision. Unfounded and irresponsible accusations were made to the media and traveled through countless social media accounts. Our students were mischaracterized, mislabeled, and manipulated.”
The statement went on to list several actions they plan to take to promote safety, including the implementation of armed school security personnel and metal detectors.
