WELLESLEY, MASS. (WHDH) - Dozens of people gathered in front of Wellesley High School in response to an alleged bullying incident that left four students facing assault charges.
Parents and students met outside the school around 7 a.m., holding signs that read “Stop All Bullying” and “Standing with Sean!”
The Ade family says their son Sean was a victim of bullying back in July.
Sean Ade, 15, told 7NEWS that people who he thought were his friends lured him to Bates Elementary School and violently attacked him, sending him to the hospital.
Wellesley Police Chief Jack Pilecki says the four students involved are facing assault and battery charges.
The Ade family is now putting pressure on the school to hold the accused students accountable, along with offering guidance and education about bullying so it does not occur.
“I want to see the school use what they have written in words to give consequences and to support people that have been bullied,” Ade said.
His mother, Allyson, added that “We need the kids to be supported and educated and empowered and not to shy away from a real problem.”
Ade says that he decided to come forward to bring awareness to bullying.
“It’s definitely heartwarming to see this many people showing up in support for the situation,” he said. “It’s good and I know change is going to come from this and if it doesn’t, we’re going to keep doing this until there is change.”
Wellesley Public Schools Superintendent David Lussier and Wellesley Public High School Principal Jamie Chisum released a joint statement that read in part, “All of us in the Wellesley Public Schools care deeply about the safety and education of our students. We recognize there are ongoing community questions and concerns about a horrific bullying incident that occurred during the summer adjacent to school property in our district. While we cannot comment specifically about that incident, we know that incidents of bullying hurt our entire Wellesley community. We take any reported allegations of bullying very seriously and follow a specific process of investigation and action, as outlined in our Bullying Policy.”
They went on to write that “Beyond the due process that is required by state law, as educators, we also have a responsibility to care for and teach every student. It is a role we take to heart. We work hard to prevent bullying by creating relationships within our schools so all students can feel supported and safe and have trusted adults they can turn to if needed. We work as a team to provide support to victims after an incident and to create safety plans to help ensure that any bullying is not repeated. This duty of care extends to all of our students, even when they make poor decisions. Young people make mistakes; they should be allowed to learn from those mistakes. To that end, we strive to have a balance between appropriate consequences and a path forward to recover. This is the nature of public schools and we remain committed to doing everything we can to support the growth of the young people entrusted to our care.”
This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.
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