Parent tells board her son was attacked twice and asks when bullying policy takes effect

Meredith Mintz used the board's public-comment period to describe two violent attacks on her son at a Brunswick County school and to ask when the district's bullying policy will come into effect.

Mintz said the first incident on Nov. 24 left her son with a broken arm and a later hallway assault produced "big knots on the back of his ears." She said school administrators told her "they did all that they could" and that school staff advised the family it would be best for the child to stay home after end-of-grade testing because of continuing threats. "I would like to know when the bullying policy comes in effect," Mintz told the board.

Board procedure and next steps: The board attorney reminded the public that the comment period is for offering remarks only and that the board does not engage in a back-and-forth dialogue during the forum; the chair and staff directed Mintz to follow up with the school and superintendent's office for further discussion and investigation.

Why it matters: The parent described two physical assaults that, according to her account, resulted in serious injury and led the child to stop attending school after testing. The comment raises questions about incident responses at the school level and whether district policies and supports were applied in these instances. The board did not provide a public response to the specifics during the meeting but told Mintz to pursue the matter with school administration off the record.

Quote: "When I went to the school to talk to him, they told me that they did all that they could ... My son did not return to school the rest of the year," Mintz said.

The district's public-comment rules, read earlier by the board attorney, limit discussion of confidential matters (personnel, student records, litigation) in open session and authorize the chair to rule speakers out of order if a topic is inappropriate for the forum. Mintz's request was heard and the board directed staff to follow up outside the meeting.