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 parent who said she has a child in the district, described videos of fights circulating on social media and said multiple teachers privately told her they feared losing their jobs if they spoke more loudly. "It's a scary thing. My kid loves going to school, and I don't want him to see things like that," Golden said. Amanda LaBarge, who said her sixth-grade son was left with bruises after a choking incident in January, said the school contacted only one parent and did not offer the family the option to seek immediate medical attention; she recommended that both custodial households be contacted for incidents involving physical harm. "A choking incident like this should have gotten the police involved immediately," LaBarge said.

Jessica Monte, who identified herself as a parent of children in the district, and her daughter Jasmine Monte, a student who described being assaulted in a Lincoln bathroom, urged the board to impose stricter consequences on repeat offenders and to expand supervision on buses and in bathrooms. Jasmine said teachers appeared to minimize her account and she experienced weeks of harassment after a video of the incident was shared. Jasmine suggested hiring veterans as monitors for buses to provide additional adult supervision.

Board response and next steps: members acknowledged the emotional testimony and asked staff to provide an information update at next month’s meeting about discipline types, how parents are notified, and how the district interacts with families after incidents. A board member noted that, at a recent Rams behavior meeting, staff reported 93% of Rams students had no discipline referrals; trustees said the district should publicize that context while also addressing the concerns raised. District staff said they can report general patterns but cannot disclose confidential details of individual disciplinary or hearing processes.

Communication changes discussed: parents raised a specific Skyward issue: the district’s Skyward registration distinguishes Family 1 and Family 2, and a parent said being listed as Family 2 delayed notification. Trustees and staff agreed to explore changing Skyward messaging to ensure that both custodial households receive immediate phone contact for incidents involving physical harm, and to provide a public update after the staff review.

Votes/action: no new policies or disciplinary actions were adopted at the meeting. The board classified the public remarks as an information request and asked administration to return with a general update, including (1) an overview of disciplinary consequences used, (2) communication procedures with both custodial households, and (3) a status report on Rams’ initiatives to reduce misconduct.

Community context: speakers asked the board to consider both stronger school-based consequences (longer suspensions, removal from extracurricular activities) and additional outside supervision where staff said they cannot physically intervene (for example, on buses). Several parents said teachers and staff privately told them they feel constrained from speaking publicly about safety problems because of personnel consequences.

Ending: Board members thanked the speakers for coming forward and said staff would return next month with a general update on disciplinary practice, notification procedures, and the district’s ongoing efforts to reduce incidents and support affected students.