Principal suspended in bullying probe

April 03, 2017 in Regional

Tristan Khan, whose arm was broken in an incident at his school.

Investigations into a bully attack at the Mayaro Government Primary School, which left a schoolboy with a broken arm, resulted in the suspension of the principal on Friday.

The Ministry of Education instructed that the school’s principal be suspended.

Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) president Lynsley Doodhai confirmed the suspension. He said TTUTA had discussed the matter and would issue a media release on Monday.

“Yes, I can confirm that the principal was suspended because of the incident at the school involving the child who suffered a broken arm,” he said.

The injured child’s parents had taken legal action against the Ministry of Education following reports that the incident was as a result of “child’s play”.

Legal action is also being threatened against the police service as a result of the alleged inaction of some officers of the Mayaro Police Station to investigate the report made by the injured boy’s parents.

Tristan Khan, nine, suffered a broken arm on the playground at the school in February.

The child’s parents claimed that he was attacked by a classmate, cuffed, kicked and stomped upon during the lunch break.

The child was taken to the Mayaro District Hospital by school officials who then contacted his parents. He was transferred to the Sangre Grande District hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery.

Tristan has not been able to use his right hand and is now trying to write using his left hand, but his father said that the handwriting has not been legible.

The Ministry of Education has launched investigations into several acts of bullying in schools across the country.