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.