Local Mother Embarks on Anti-Bullying Crusade

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In the aftermath of her son’s assault at a local public charter school, one mother is leading the charge for bolstering the quality of support services afforded to students with disabilities.  

Yolanda Corbett counted among more than two dozen parents, community advocates and restorative justice coordinators who met with administrators at Washington Leadership Academy Public Charter School (PCS) on Tuesday, April 2 in demand of a safe academic environment for her son and others with Individual Education Programs, also known as IEPs. 

Days prior, Corbett’s son, a senior who’s diagnosed with autism and ADHD, told her that a group of male students attacked him in the hallways during the transition between classes. That attack, Corbett said, happened just weeks after her son reported experiencing bullying on school grounds. 

“I was concerned that my son’s quirks would be escalated to this incident where he has been attacked — and possibly with a concussion,” Corbett said. “In such a pivotal moment in his transition from high school to young adulthood, what things could come from this interaction?” 

Calls for Help Gone Unanswered

Four years ago, Corbett enrolled her son into Washington Leadership Academy PCS, based in Northeast, with the intention of fostering his interest in technology and web development. 

By that time, she said he had already been the victim of an assault at his middle school, Inspired Teaching Public Charter School in Northeast. Although he wouldn’t suffer another on-campus attack for years, and even found some success as a high schooler, Corbett said she often expressed concerns about inconsistent support and inequitable course offerings to students with IEPs.

Those concerns, once again, came to the forefront late last week on March 27. 

Film that’s been circulating on social media shows four young men kicking and punching Corbett’s son at the bottom of some steps as he lays face down on the floor. 

As Corbett recounted, the group of students, moments earlier, called her son derogatory names and threatened violence against him after he commented on the smell of the hallway. 

Corbett said that her son’s efforts to de-escalate the situation proved unsuccessful as one of the young men punched him in the face and another grabbed him by his backpack. When he tried to escape, the alleged attackers pushed him out of the hallway and into the stairwell. 

As shown in the video, one of them struck Corbett’s son with a skateboard. 

Those young men have yet to be identified, Corbett said. 

“My son told me the young men were never apprehended by administrators as they ran out of the school building,” she told The Informer. 

Corbett went on to note that a meeting immediately following the incident didn’t yield a positive outcome, due to what she described as Principal Eric Collazo’s inability to sufficiently outline Washington Leadership Academy PCS’ response to violent on-campus incidents. 

“He said he couldn’t present next steps but that they would go to the ‘next level,’” Corbett said. “That’s not a sufficient or specific answer.” 

The District Attempts to Tackle Bullying in Public and Public Charter Schools

On March 28, the day after Corbett’s son reported his assault, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) submitted the “Youth Bullying Prevention in the District of Columbia: School Years 2020-2021 and 2021-2022” report. 

The D.C. Office of Human Rights (OHR) prepared this report in accordance with the Youth Bullying Prevention Act of 2012. 

“Over the last decade, OHR has made significant strides towards the goal of reducing incidents of bullying in the District but there is still more work to be done to protect our youth,” Bowser told D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) in a letter accompanying the report. 

The report showed that fewer than 20% of District public and public charter schools complied with the four requirements of the Youth Bullying Prevention Act. This represented a decrease of six percentage points. 

Another data point in the report revealed that students returning to in-person learning during the 2021-2022 school year needed help as they reintegrated into the school environment. That year, rates of bullying returned to pre-pandemic levels, with nearly 1,300 unique allegations across the public and public charter schools. 

Two out of three schools with at least one incident of bullying, according to the report, addressed the situation with suspension, expulsion or referral to law enforcement. A similar proportion of schools implemented restorative justice practices, while 39% of schools used counseling and other mental health services in response to bullying. 

According to the report, Global Citizens Public Charter School in Northeast was the only District school that didn’t submit anti-bullying policy for compliance review during the 2021-2022 school year. 

Since its inception, the District’s citywide Youth Bullying Prevention Program (YBPP) has set out to provide agency oversight, case resolution assistance, and resources for parents and community members. 

Last school year, YBPP produced tipsheets focused on bullying and mental health, along with cyberbullying. It also launched a student discussion series where students at District public and public charter schools explore the topic of bullying. 

Policy writing workshops conducted by YBPP assist school officials who are tasked with developing and implementing anti-bullying policies. 

Looking forward, key focal points for YBPP as outlined in the report, include training to ensure compliance, development of resources and best practices for addressing bullying, and further support of schools in the implementation of the Youth Bullying Prevention Act. 

A Deeper Look into Washington Leadership Academy’s Policy

Per Bowser’s report, Washington Leadership Academy PCS complied with the Youth Bullying Prevention Act during the 2021-2022 school year by providing data, posting its anti-bullying policy online, and providing staff training. 

The Washington Leadership Academy Student and Family Handbook defines bullying as “severe, pervasive, or persistent act or conduct” that’s based on a bevy of distinguishable characteristics, including disability. 

Students are prohibited from bullying their peers or retaliating against those who report bullying on school grounds, areas surrounding school grounds, at school-sponsored activities, on school buses, public transportation, or via technology. 

Such actions, according to the handbook, are punishable up to suspension and dismissal for students who are involved. The handbook goes on to say that bullying is predicted to incite fear in the young person, detrimentally affect their physical or mental health, and interfere with their academic performance or attendance. 

Two weeks before the assault against Corbett’s son, Washington Leadership Academy PCS hosted a Disability Awareness Month Town Hall that allowed students to discuss the diversity of disabilities and how they can contribute to making their school more inclusive and accessible to all students. 

In an email to The Informer, Stacy Kane,  co-founder and executive director of Washington Leadership Academy, attached an undated letter that she said community members received not long after the on-campus assault. 

Kane declined to specify whether the students involved in the assault of Corbett’s son had been held accountable. However, she said that she continues to maintain contact with Corbett as the administration pursues the “strongest consequences allowable.”  

“Washington Leadership Academy takes bullying very seriously,” Kane said. “We know and understand the great impact and consequences that can come from bullying and work diligently to discourage it… The Washington Leadership Academy Student and Family Handbook outlines the process and protocol for bullying investigations. We are investigating this incident pursuant to that process and will take further action accordingly.”

State Board Rep. Patterson Touts Need for Better Coordination

In 2022, the D.C. State Board of Education (SBOE) passed a resolution in recognition of National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month. That resolution acknowledged the Office of the Student Advocate as an entity that supports students and families reeling from challenges brought on by bullying, harassment, and other elements of school climate and culture. 

Dr. Jacque Patterson, SBOE’s at large representative, said that District public and public charter schools could benefit from better utilizing the Office of the Student Advocate, and other District agencies for that matter, in their efforts to quell violence on school grounds. 

Patterson counted among those who accompanied Corbett at Washington Leadership Academy PCS on April 2. He told The Informer that problems, much like what Washington Leadership Academy, is experiencing could worsen in the absence of federal funds that funded staff support positions. 

Without the presence of support staff, students feel more emboldened to engage in physical conflict on school grounds, Patterson said. That’s why, in their absence, and that of school resource officers, Patterson continues to emphasize the need for coordination between school officials, the District’s violence interrupter program, and other agencies specializing in conflict resolution. 

“Teachers will have more to deal with and less resources at their availability,” Patterson said. “Unless you bring in violence interrupters, and see them build relationships with school leaders and identify those individuals dealing with mental health [issues], then all you’ll talk about is restorative justice, which is after the fact.”