The calendar says school is out, but there is one school in Gwinnett County, E. S. Cooper Elementary where an issue that happened earlier this spring, is still in effect.
On Point with Juandolyn Stokes welcomed Dr. Lisa Shell and her Attorney Corey Martin to our “School Days” segment to discuss the assault on Dr. Shell’s 9-year-old son by a school administrator.
Dr. Shell works as a Detention Supervisor at the school her son attends. “I get students who might give people a little bit of trouble, but these are little people who just need a conversation to understand there are consequences for their actions,” said Shell.
Her son has several emotional disabilities including ADHD, Mood Disorder, and he is on the Autism Spectrum, which requires him to be placed in an EBD class for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities.
An incident between Shell’s son and another student landed him in the behavior recovery room, which is supposed to be covered by three adults, including one as a witness. Instead Shell’s son entered the room with the principal, and assistant principal healthy and whole, but emerged with bruised ribs, and a fractured leg.
Shell says when she went to get her son from the recovery room, her son grabbed her as he stood with one shoe on crying. She noticed he was limping when he walked. When she asked him what happened, he said the principal slung him around the room and stomped on his leg.
An E.R. visit confirmed his leg was fractured and the hospital called the police to report the crime. Since then, the report of what happened in that room between the Black 9-year-old student and the two White administrators has been a stalled investigation.
“Everything that was done was illegal and nothing is being done about it,” said Martin. To date, the Gwinnett County District Attorney has not filed a criminal complaint or issued an arrest warrant. The principal is not being charged with anything, says Martin.
“DFACS says they are waiting on the DA’s office, and the DA’s office says they are waiting on DFCS,” he added.
Shell says she was threatened with termination and a revocation of her son’s permissive transfer after she complained to the superintendent’s office, the special education office and HR.
What Martin says he did learn is that the principal bragged about sweeping the students' legs from under him, which is dangerous and most assuredly a clear violation of school policies and procedures.
“This is unacceptable and this should not have happened. We are calling on people to do their jobs,” said Martin.
Additionally, Martin asks the community to call Cooper Elementary school at: 770 554-7050 and demand the principal be fired, call the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office at: 770-822-8400 and demand the principal be arrested and charged, and show up the Gwinnett County School Board Meeting and demand the principal of Cooper Elementary be fired!