Boston, MA
Boston school teacher hit with chair by student, rushed to ER
A student at a South End public school assaulted a teacher so badly that she was rushed by ambulance to Tufts Medical Center, according to a Boston Police report.
Staff at the Melvin H. King South End Academy alerted police at 8:15 a.m. Friday that a student had physically assaulted a teacher there, according to the police report.
“This morning, a dysregulated (emotional) student assaulted a member of school staff, and the staff member sustained injuries as a result of the incident. School staff immediately responded and worked to de-escalate the situation and BPS Safety Services and Boston Police were called to assist,” Head of School Cindie Neilson wrote in a letter sent to the school community.
The minor student had arrived at the school in an agitated condition, according to the report narrative, “and staff made several attempts to help him settle in but were not successful.”
The student then allegedly started to attack a teacher by punching her in the head and body and then he “picked up a chair and started swinging it around.” The teacher tried to get the chair away from him but police say the student hit her with the chair in the head and middle back.
“The school nurse saw the injured staff member, and Boston EMS was notified to provide assistance and transport the staff member to a local hospital for medical care,” Neilson wrote in her letter.
The police report indicates she was rushed to Tufts Medical Center for further treatment.
The student was sent home on a bus and his mother confirmed he made it home. Police say the school “will conduct a full investigation and will issue any disciplinary actions.”
“As you know, the Melvin H. King South End Academy, like all schools in the Boston Public Schools, focuses on fostering a safe environment for every community member,” Neilson wrote.
City Councilor Ed Flynn, whose district includes the school, told the Herald incidents like this indicate the city must “reconsider” the safety plan in place at Boston Public Schools.
“The safety of our teachers and students must be out top priority,” he said. “We need to reconsider our current BPS public safety plan and include a role for police in our schools. It’s critical we provide a safe and healthy learning and teaching environment.”
The Melvin H. King Academy was known as the McKinley South End Academy until last April when it was renamed in honor of Mel King, a South End-native civil rights icon, former state legislator and former Boston mayoral candidate. King died last March at the age of 94.
The Mel King Academy serves students with disabilities. Boston Public Schools describes it as “four schools in one, providing special education for students in kindergarten through grade 12.”
The four distinct schools in the academy have separate addresses, but BPS indicates that both the elementary school and the general address for the academy share the listed address of the incident: 90 Warren Ave.
The Herald reached out to the Boston Teachers Union for comment on the incident but did not receive a response by deadline.
Boston, MA
Rideshare driver charged in Logan airport passenger assault to appear in court
A rideshare driver suspected of assaulting a passenger at Boston Logan International Airport on Friday is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday.
Leonard Bacon, 23, was found in Lowell, where he lives, and taken into custody on Sunday, Massachusetts State Police said. He’s charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury.
It wasn’t immediately clear if Bacon, who’s due to face the charge in East Boston District Court, had an attorney who could speak for him.
Police didn’t share more details on what Bacon is accused of doing. They’ve previously said that the rideshare passenger entered Terminal C just before 5:30 a.m. and reported that they had been physically assaulted by their driver prior to being dropped off.
After the passenger got out of the vehicle, the rideshare driver left the scene, according to police, who alerted area law enforcement agencies to look out for the suspect. The victim was taken to a Boston-area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police added.
Police are looking for a rideshare driver who was reported to have assaulted a passenger right before drop-off at Boston’s Logan airport.
In a statement, Uber said they’ve checked in with the rider and removed the driver’s access to their rideshare platform.
“We are horrified by this reported violence,” a representative for the company said in a statement, adding, “Our specialized team has been in touch with law enforcement, and we will continue to do whatever we can to support their investigation.”
Boston, MA
‘More than just a cyclist’: Hundreds mourn Boston transit planner killed while biking – The Boston Globe
“She’s more than just a cyclist and an advocate,” Rose Frank, 36, who became friends with Gag in seventh grade, said. “Those were parts of her identity, but she’s such an amazing person in so many other ways, and we want to celebrate all of those ways.”
Gag, who grew up in Roslindale just minutes from the park, was a joyful and energetic child, said Mark Smith, 66, a neighbor who spoke at the event.
“She was the sweetest little girl with a big wide smile,” Smith said. “Whenever you were in her presence, you felt somehow special.”
Smith said Gag’s passion for giving back to her community likely came from her parents, Steve Gag and Laura Gang, longtime Roslindale residents who contributed greatly to developing the neighborhood. Steve Gag helped bring a farmers market to Adams Park, while Laura Gang was involved in the public library.
Gag’s loved ones said she grew up to become a generous person who cared deeply about her family and friends.
“Louisa showed up for people,” Molly Goodkind, 36, a childhood friend of Gag’s said during Sunday’s event. “We’ll never understand how she had time to be everyone’s go-to person.”
Gag, she said, would eagerly volunteer to cat-sit, even though she didn’t like cats. Another friend said she kept a spreadsheet of the birthdays of all the babies she knew.
“She was the person outside of my biological family who, if I needed something, she would be there in an instant,” Goodkind, who has known Gag since they were 2-years-old, said.
Gag’s friends said she was curious and remained open-minded, even though she held firm beliefs.
“Who do you know that was a vegetarian except for when it inconvenienced others? And of course, except for hot dogs, because according to Louisa, you can’t not have a hot dog at a barbecue,” Gag’s friend Danielle Shaked said, drawing laughs from the crowd, including Laura Gang, who dabbed at her eyes with a crumpled tissue.
Gag also found time for many hobbies, and was always trying new ones, her friends said. Beyond loving outdoor activities such as biking and hiking, she was passionate about sustainability and shopped secondhand or sewed her own clothes. She dabbled in photography, painting, and cooking.

Urban planning was one of Gag’s enduring passions, Goodkind said.
“In college, she created her own major,” she said. “I don’t remember exactly what she called it, but it was something like city and people.”
Gag attended college at the University of Rochester and later earned a master’s degree in urban and environmental planning and policy from Tufts University, according to her LinkedIn.
Before joining the city in 2022, Gag worked for LivableStreets Alliance, a Boston-based nonprofit that advocates for increased safety, equity, and affordability. She also interned for Mayor Michelle Wu when Wu was a city councilor.
Wu attended Sunday’s event, but did not speak. Like many other attendees, she held a yellow sunflower, one of Gag’s favorites, as she tearfully listened to the tributes.
While Gag didn’t like being the center of attention, her friends said she would have been grateful for Sunday’s event.
“She would be completely honored to know that she has impacted so many people,” Frank said, her gaze drifting over the people gathered in the park.
Under a small tent nearby, attendees crowded around a folding table, filling out remembrance cards. Dozens of bikes leaned against the park’s fences while more lay scattered in the grass.
Allyson Chiu can be reached at allyson.chiu@globe.com. Follow her on X @_allysonchiu.
Boston, MA
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