Parents, students tell Wisconsin Rapids board bullying and assaults at Rams and Lincoln left children injured and fearful

Multiple parents and a student told the Wisconsin Rapids School Board during public comment that repeated bullying and physical assaults at Rams Middle School and Lincoln High School have left children bruised, frightened and reluctant to return to school.

At the board meeting, three parents and one student described incidents they said occurred this winter, including an episode a parent characterized as a choking incident that left a sixth-grade child with bruising and trouble breathing, and a separate bathroom assault at Lincoln that a student described as being ‘‘bashed against the toilet.’’ The speakers said school responses have been insufficient and that parents were not always notified promptly through the district’s Skyward system.

Why it matters: speakers said the failures they described affect student safety and parental ability to protect and get medical care for their children. Several asked the board to press the district to change discipline, communication and supervision practices so incidents are reported promptly to both custodial households and, when appropriate, to law enforcement.

Alicia Golden, a…