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Boston authorities investigate alleged abuse of children by charter school student – Metro US

Boston authorities investigate alleged abuse of children by charter school student

Boston authorities investigate alleged abuse of children by charter school
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Officials at a charter school in Hyde Park have released a statement acknowledging an online report of an alleged incident of abuse involving one of its students on a school bus earlier this month.

The school, Boston Renaissance Charter Public School, was responding to a Facebook post that alleged a 6-year-old student had molested other young boys on the bus. The post, which surfaced Sunday and was shared more than 2,400 times, caused an uproar among parents.

Boston police confirmed that it had been contacted by the school on Nov. 3 to report an incident of abuse, but declined to comment on specifics.

On Monday evening, Boston Renaissance released a statement on its website, saying it was aware of the Facebook post and that officials had taken “immediate action and followed appropriate legal protocols, contacting law enforcement immediately upon learning of the issue. We have taken this matter very seriously and have taken appropriate measures to ensure student safety. We have also taken the appropriate steps to protect the privacy of the children who were involved.”

On its website, the school said only that the alleged incident was “a highly sensitive matter,” and asked the public “to respect the privacy of our students and families, and allow the school to handle this appropriately.”

It directed anyone with information to call the school at 617-357-0900.

Boston police spokeswoman Maish Miraj said authorities could not provide details because those allegedly involved are minors. “An incident was reported to the Boston police and due to ages of those involved, it was referred to Children’s Advocacy Center who offered services to the families,” she said.

The Children’s Advocacy Center, which coordinates a plan of action following any allegation of abuse against a child, was not immediately available for comment Tuesday.

Boston Public Schools said it is conducting an internal review of the allegations.

Boston Renaissance is not part of the Boston Public Schools, but is overseen by the state. Boston Public Schools does provide transportation for charter school students, however.

“We are working with the charter school’s administration and our transportation provider to ensure that all protocols were properly followed,” said Daniel O’Brien, Boston Public School spokesman. “The safety and well-being of our students, and those we transport, are always a top priority of the BPS.”

Typically, no monitors accompany students on buses, O’Brien said. He noted that monitors and attendants are only present on about 37 percent of school buses to assist students with special or individualized needs.