Parents of 19 suspended students at Laurelhill Community College in Lisburn are demanding the principal revoke the suspensions, citing concerns of disproportionate action and a need to rebuild trust. The students were suspended for one day due to alleged disruptive behavior, including the intimidation of female substitute teachers. Parents are seeking clarification on the necessity of the suspension and a commitment to address the situation in a more measured manner.
Parents of 19 school boys from a Co Antrim school have called for the principal to ‘revoke’ their suspension to ‘repair trust’. The male students were suspended from Lisburn’s Laurelhill Community College for one day with the principal Nicola Stevenson raising concerns of ‘ toxic masculinity ‘ developing at the school amid perceived ‘intimidation’ of female substitute teachers.
However, the concerned parents claim the decision was disproportionate to the principal’s concerns. A letter from the principal is understood to have been sent to all parents of 900 students at the school this week stating the suspensions were a ‘necessary response’ to a ‘single specific incident’. It reads: ‘You will be aware there has been significant media attention regarding pupils who were suspended for one day last week. Whilst we cannot discuss individual cases, these suspensions were a necessary response to a single, specific incident involving a range of behaviours.’ ‘It is important to stress that the vast majority of pupils in our school uphold our core values and are hard-working, well-mannered and respectful young people. In overall terms, only a very small minority of our pupils were involved in the incident, and some had not previously come to our attention. ‘We have subsequently had a number of constructive meetings where individual behaviours were discussed with parents to help support those involved.’ The alleged ‘disruptive’ behaviours of the boys are said in a principal email to parents to be long running since September, Belfast Live reports. The claimed behaviour includes speaking over the top of the principal, making noises and laughing. It further said the boys’ behaviour has caused a number of substitute and female teachers to refuse to teach classes as they have been made upset to the point of having to go home from work. The principal letter this week, adds: ‘As shared previously, we recognise that young people will sometimes make poor choices. When this happens, they need support to reflect, accept responsibility, and learn from the experience. ‘Whilst we understand that parents and carers will naturally wish to advocate for their child, we would ask you to continue to work with us to address any issues and promote responsibility, resilience, and positive behaviour as required.’ The LDRS understands that the principal personally phoned every parent to inform them of the one day suspension and has submitted an invite to all parents to 1:1 meetings to discuss the issue further. A group of parents, now representing all 19 boys, have given permission for a spokesperson to comment to the LDRS. The spokesperson said: ‘We would like a full explanation of why the suspension was a necessary step. No pupils were being harmed, and no property was being damaged, why was removal of pupils from the property considered the only option? ‘Parents have yet to be contacted about any steps that resemble support for any children involved. We had suggested before any media attention for the principal to reach out and offer a gesture to show an intention to repair trust with parents and help the children feel they were not being attacked and labelled as intimidating towards females. ‘What happened was the opposite. The following day, Nicola Stevenson held boys back from assembly again for disruptive behaviour, yet this did not result in a suspension. Last week this was presented as the only option, so why did the following week’s assembly not result in another suspension if the first truly was necessary?’ It has also been claimed by the principal that she felt ‘intimidated’ when approached by a number of boys outside her office following the alleged assembly incident. However, the parents group confirmed to the LDRS that they have all agreed to make a formal complaint to the Laurelhill board of governors and asked for CCTV footage to be taken into account. The parents have stated that the boys who gathered outside the principal’s office went to offer an apology. The parents’ spokesperson added: ‘Saying the situation is caused by a ‘relatively small minority’ implies that the issue is limited to those 19 boys and frames them as the sole source of concern, causing further labelling. ‘This could be mitigated by revoking the suspension and issuing a statement to reassure parents that the situation has been reflected upon, and that going forward any similar incidents will be managed in line with proportionality. ‘Many parents refrained from submitting a formal complaint for a week to give Nicola Stevenson ample time and opportunity to rectify the situation. ‘Instead, what happened was disappointing and left us with no choice.’ The LDRS contacted the school and the board of governors raising the request of CCTV, with the Education Authority providing assistance for a response to the media to confirm an official review of all matters at Laurelhill. A spokesperson for the EA said: ‘The EA has been advised that a series of meetings with parents have been taking place. Issues of this nature are best resolved within a school community, rather than through public commentary.’ Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
School Suspension Laurelhill Community College Toxic Masculinity Parental Concerns School Discipline
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