Parents raise safety concerns at Stricker Middle after assault leaves boy with concussion

CBS News

a day ago

Parents are speaking out about what they call a troubling pattern of violence and lack of accountability at General John Stricker Middle School in Dundalk, following an alleged assault last week that left a sixth-grade student with a concussion, and no immediate call home.
Video of the May 27 incident, which shows a student motionless on the ground while several adults stand nearby, has triggered outrage and prompted other parents to share similar concerns about safety and communication at the school.
"Looking at the video—I just want to go through the video and help my child," the victim's mother told WJZ. "It's a bunch of adults just standing there. It makes me angry because the amount of people that were just standing around... they had no type of sympathy or empathy."
The mother says the school never called 911 or even notified her. She rushed to the school herself, later spending hours in the emergency room where her son was diagnosed with a concussion.
"It happens every day."
Following the report, other parents have taken to social media to voice their frustrations. Destiny Saffell, whose son witnessed the assault, says such violence has become routine.
"It happens every day. There's at least four or five fights every day," she said.
Saffell also says her own son suffered a hand injury earlier that same day, but the school nurse never contacted her. Only after she took him to the hospital did she learn he had a slight fracture.
"The nurse didn't call me, didn't send a message, an email, didn't give him a Tylenol. She just gave him an ice pack and sent him back to class," Saffell said.
Saffell's son also described witnessing the hallway assault firsthand.
"When I tried to peek in and then get back to class, I saw the kid getting his head stomped in," he told WJZ.
Both families say they plan to withdraw their children from Stricker Middle School, citing what they describe as a "culture of neglect."
BCPS releases statement regarding notification protocols
In response to WJZ's inquiries, Baltimore County Public Schools issued a statement regarding their parent notification protocols:
"Regarding the incident at Stricker, the parent arrived at the school just a few minutes after the incident before administrators had an opportunity to call home. The same applies for injuries or sickness—parents would be notified as soon as possible per our standard processes and protocol."
That explanation has done little to calm concerns for some.
"General John Stricker just doesn't care," Saffell said. "They're just there for their paycheck, to make the admins happy and do what they've got to do to keep them off their backs—and that's that."
BCPS told WJZ the students involved in the assault have since been disciplined. Parents, however, say it's too little, too late.
WJZ will continue to follow this story and any response from BCPS leadership.