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Parents and students tell Northfield School Board bullying and sexual-assault complaints went unaddressed
Summary
Three public commenters at the May 27 Northfield School Board meeting accused district staff of failing to investigate or discipline student-on-student assaults, urged transparency and policy enforcement, and asked the board to require public reporting and anonymous reporting tools.
Three community members told the Northfield School Board on May 27 that bullying and sexual assault allegations in district schools have not been handled properly, and urged the board to demand greater transparency and stronger enforcement of safety policies.
At the start of public comment, parent Julia Brilliant said her daughter “has been bullied and beaten,” and that despite the district’s stated zero-tolerance policy for aggravated assault, “no charges were filed, no disciplinary action was taken.” Brilliant told the board she wanted “public bullying data reports as required by federal law” and urged anonymous reporting systems and consistent discipline and counseling for students who bully.
Eleventh-grade student Hannah Breeland told the board she has been targeted at school and said, “I sleep the entire day…I’m so tired of it. I have tried to kill myself multiple times.” Breeland said she and other students are “terrified and scared” and asked the board to “stand up for people and do something about it.”
Parent Emmy Torres recounted a 2024 incident she said involved repeated physical assaults against her daughter. Torres said school staff took a statement but “when we got the report, only 1 charge was made,” and that the family received no clear answer about why more charges were not pursued.
The three speakers framed their remarks as appeals for the board to require investigations, public reporting of bullying incidents, and stronger protections for victims. Brilliant said the district should “ensure consistent discipline” and provide a “safety plan for victims.” The board did not take formal action during the public-comment period; after the three speakers concluded, the meeting moved on to scheduled agenda items.
The board chair opened the public-comment period by reading the district’s public-comment policy (District policy 206), which requires speakers to avoid comments about specific students or staff and limits remarks to three minutes. The chair also informed the audience that the board reserves up to 30 minutes for public comment.
The comments during public comment are the record of what speakers told the board and were not presented as board admissions or determinations of fact. The board did not announce any immediate investigatory or disciplinary actions during the remainder of the May 27 meeting.
