Police probe school assaults

A police investigation into a pair of alleged school assaults has been hampered by the school officials' delay in notifying authorities, police said.

http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20100410/NEWS02/4100360                   # # # # Police probe school assaults  •  Rutland Herald  •  By Josh O'Gorman STAFF WRITER - Published: April 10, 2010  •  SPRINGFIELD – A police investigation into a pair of alleged school assaults has been hampered by the school officials' delay in notifying authorities, police said.  •  Details are still emerging about the attacks that allegedly occurred at Springfield High School on Thursday, partly due to the fact that school officials did not speak with police until Friday, said Springfield Police Chief Douglas Johnston.  •  "Unfortunately, what happened is, the school didn't call us when it happened, so it's made it more difficult to interview witnesses and establish exactly what happened," Johnston said.  •  In both cases, Johnston said, weapons were involved.  •  In one instance, a male student at River Valley Technical Center allegedly threatened a female student with a knife.  •  In another incident – it is not clear where, either the high school or the tech center – a male student allegedly assaulted two female students with some sort of sharp instrument, such as a compass or a punch, Johnston said.  •  One of the girls might have been injured when the sharp instrument impacted her collarbone, police said.  •  Police first became aware of the second incident Thursday, when a parent of one of the alleged victims came to the Springfield Police Department to make a complaint, Johnston said.  •  On Friday morning, the parent of the alleged victim in the first incident also contacted police to complain, he said.  •  Johnston said he initiated contact with the school Friday morning when he called Principal Larry Wight for information.  •  Wight did not return calls seeking comment for this story.  •  RVTC Director Carl Mock confirmed something had happened, but little else.  • "We've confirmed some information about what transpired yesterday and we've contacted the kids involved and their parents to let them know the police have been contacted," Mock said, declining to discuss what actually transpired.  •  Mock did confirm the incident at RVTC involved a knife, and while school officials received reports of the incident Thursday, the reports were not consistent and that is why school officials did not call the police, Mock said.  •  When asked if a report of a weapon at school was sufficient grounds to call the police, Mock said, "Not always. If it happened at the end of the day and we were calling parents and there was no imminent danger, we might wait until the next day to call the police."  •  It is unclear what consequences a student who brought a weapon to school would face. While school policy calls for a one-year expulsion, the policy also gives administrators the authority to make exceptions as they see fit.  •  Mock said the important thing to remember is everything is OK.  •  "What I feel confident about saying is everybody is safe," he said.  •  Johnston said the incidents - which do not appear to be related - are under investigation and he anticipated filing criminal charges in the future.  •