Adults enter U-32, assault student
|
|
Toolbox
By Thatcher Moats Times Argus Staff - Published: April 2, 2009
EAST MONTPELIER — An 11th-grade student at U-32 was in class Tuesday morning when the father of another student stormed through the doors and attacked her, according to police and school officials.
Peter Benedini, 39, grabbed the 16-year-old girl and pushed her up against a desk as he and the woman who accompanied him to the school — 33-year-old Shannon Papineau — yelled and swore at the girl, police said.
Benedini and Papineau are the parents of two students at U-32, according to Keith Gerritt, the school's principal.
Police said the victim in this case had a dispute with Benedini's daughter earlier in the day.
Three administrators raced to the classroom and intervened, said Gerritt. Assistant principals Stephanie Taylor and Mark Mooney, along with school dean Erik Bennett, were able to coax Benedini and Papineau into the assistant principals' office, said Gerritt.
Benedini and Papineau then left the school without further incident.
Police cited Benedini for simple assault and disorderly conduct, and Papineau was cited for disorderly conduct. They are scheduled to appear in Vermont District Court in Barre on April 23 to answer to the criminal charges.
Joseph Doucette, who is the victim's father, said Benedini's attack left marks on his daughter's neck and shoulder. The school nurse examined the student following the attack, and the student soon returned to class, Gerritt said.
State Police Trooper Daniel Trottier investigated the incident, but was not available for comment Wednesday, though state police issued a news release. Benedini and Papineau also could not be reached.
Doucette said he was "shocked" by the incident and wants administrators to make changes at the school that will help keep students safe.
"It's scary for me to think that there's nothing in place in that school that I know of to prevent someone from walking into the school and laying their hands on someone who is in a classroom," said Doucette. "I have a young daughter in elementary school, and after hearing some of this, she looks at me and says, 'Dad, do I have to go to that school?'"
U-32's policy is to have visitors sign in at the office and state their reason for being at the school, which Papineau and Benedini did not do, said Gerritt.
The entrance to the school is visible from the office through a large glass window, but no one is assigned to monitor the entrance, the principal said.
"No one saw them go in," said Gerritt. "It would be very easy to walk into the building and not be seen."
U-32 does not have a police officer assigned to the school as some local high schools do.
U-32's "crisis team" met Wednesday morning before school to review the incident, said Gerritt. The crisis team is composed of all the school administrators, a guidance councilor, the school nurse and the head of buildings and grounds, Gerritt said. No recommendations have been made about changes to school security, but Gerritt said a sub-committee of the crisis team was scheduled to meet Wednesday afternoon to take the matter up in more detail.
"There are no specific recommendations yet, but there will be some forthcoming for sure," said Gerritt.
Gerritt has drafted a letter that was sent out to all parents of U-32 students. The letter explains the incident and encourages concerned parents to contact the school.
Homeroom teachers also read a statement to students Wednesday describing the event, and a guidance councilor spoke with the students who were in the classroom where the assault took place, said Gerritt.
"This is way out of the ordinary," Gerritt added. "We're taking it very seriously."
Doucette said his daughters went to Woodbury Elementary School and he said visitors can't enter the school without being "buzzed in," a greater level of security he said is warranted.
"My biggest concern is that parents are made aware that this was easy to do, and something needs to be done as far as the security of that school," said Doucette. "This had the potential to be extremely bad."
The maximum penalty for simple assault is a year in prison and $1,000 fine. Disorderly conduct carries a potential prison term of 60 days and a maximum fine of $500.
42