Mother upset with school’s response to alleged attack

The mother of a Sparta High School senior says school officials didn’t do enough to help her daughter after she allegedly was assaulted by her ex-boyfriend at the school.

Tara James raised the matter during public comments at the Board of Education meeting May 23.

She told the board that her daughter was involved in an altercation with her ex-boyfriend, also a senior, on Jan. 2 in a hallway at the high school.

“My daughter, who is a senior, was assaulted by her ex-boyfriend, who is also a senior,” she said. “The situation escalated after school and unfortunately she was assaulted again. The school was only made aware after the township Police Department contacted them.

“This is concerning. Concerning because the situation involving my daughter and this other student went on for over 20 minutes. School shootings happen in under six minutes. My daughter was unaccounted for in your school building for 20 minutes.

“This is alarming as there are SROs (school resource officers), security officers and teachers with whom I instill my trust to ensure that my daughter is safe. Nobody intervened; nobody was aware. Her teacher didn’t think to question why she wasn’t in class? Her teacher didn’t think to question why she showed up to class crying with a bloody mouth? This happened in the middle of the hallway. Where was everyone?”

James added that she was frustrated with what she sees as a lack of communication from the district when she tried to get answers about how the district planned to handle the situation.

She said assault charges are pending against the male student and there will be a trial.

When asked about the incident, police said they were unable to comment.

“All information related to domestic violence cannot be released as it is considered confidential in nature,” said Lt. Thomas Snyder, a detective with Sparta Township Police Department. “Additionally, the victim in this matter is also a juvenile, which would also prevent me from providing information.”

Without going into details, school district officials said the situation, as presented by James, was not entirely accurate.

“Unfortunately, I cannot comment on a confidential student matter,” said Superintendent Matthew Beck. “However, what I will say is that what was shared at the Board of Education meeting by the parent does not fully or accurately depict the actual events that took place or how the district addressed this matter.”

Speaking to a reporter days after the meeting, James said the male student was suspended for five days and her daughter was suspended for two because she hit the cellphone out of her ex-boyfriend’s hands during the altercation.

She said there have been several online court appearances in the case. Both parties are scheduled to appear in person in Sparta Township Municipal Court on June 17.