Boston school officials are calling for the closure of an elementary and middle school in Mission Hill following allegations of sexual and physical misconduct among students.
Superintendent Brenda Cassellius has recommended the permanent closure of Mission Hill K-8 School at the end of this school year.
A Boston Public Schools statement said a report by the Hinckley Allen law firm, which the district had commissioned, “describes systematic and pervasive student narratives of student sexual and physical misconduct that began as early as 2014”.
“Ensuring the safety, health, and well-being of all students is a school district’s most important obligation,” Boston Public Schools said in its statement. “Based on the continuing pattern of abuse confirmed in this independent report, the only viable option is to close the school and support students in their transition to other schools in the district. This action indicates how seriously the superintendent takes this responsibility seriously. The priority is to work with each Mission Hill family to determine where their child will continue their education.”
The district said 200 students attending the school will need new school assignments starting this fall, adding that about 400 K-8 spaces should be available at schools within 1.5 miles of the school. Hill School.
In an equity impact statement, the district said Hinckley Allen’s investigation “documents the harm done to children and families over the past decade,” adding that “all attempts to intervene do not ‘have not made an acceptable level of progress’.
The law firm will continue to investigate potential staff misconduct, “including failure to report student-to-student incidents,” and what more the district can do to keep students safe at all public schools. of the district, according to the report.
See Hinckley Allen’s full report below: