‘Do your job!’: Parents, students share frustration after student stabbed at Medford High School

MEDFORD, Mass. — ‘Scared to go to school.’ Those are the words from some Medford High School students to the school committee on Monday night.

It comes as investigators are looking into a fight in a boy’s bathroom. Police say a student was stabbed. The school was locked down and students were sent home early after it happened.

“My daughter does not want to go back to school. Where is the urgency? This is not an isolated incident,” says George Scarpelli, a Medford High School parent.

Scarpelli spoke to the Medford School Committee with anger after getting a call that a student was stabbed at his child’s high school. A video shows a large group of students getting into a fight in the boys’ bathroom. One kid was stabbed and sent to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect is in police custody.

“This was an isolated incident in terms of what happened to this particular student in the school today. We know there is a systemic issue that is why we are here to help change that,” says a Medford School Committee member.

But some parents say there also needs to be better communication. One mom says she was left in the dark about what happened at the school until much later.

“Many of us didn’t know if it was our kid that was hurt. The school has terrible cell phone service,” says a Medford High School parent.

Throughout the meeting, parents accused school officials of not doing enough to keep students safe. One student said she was beat up two months ago by some students at school.

“I was in the hospital for 8 ½ hours that day. No one checked in until the next day. Do something, do your job and if you can’t do it, step down and let someone else do it for you!” says a Medford High School student.

The student’s mother told the school superintendent she’s to blame for Monday’s latest act of violence.

“There’s blood on your hands today my friend I am sorry,” says a Medford High School parent.

One school committee member did acknowledge they need to step up to do more in keeping students safe and communicating better with parents

“There are a number of things that we are getting very wrong as a system. I think what we have to really grapple with is striking some balance between improving our communication,” says a Medford School Committee member.

The Medford School Committee will have a follow up public meeting to address what they call the “accountability process.” That is scheduled between now and January 3rd.

In the meantime, there will be an increased police presence at Medford High School for the rest of the week.

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