ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – A St. Johns County mother is preparing to sue the school district after she expressed frustration with how officials handled an attack on her son’s school bus.
Last Thursday, 5th grader Grayson Sargent of Wards Creek Elementary left his school bus with blood dripping down his head. A fellow student had slammed a backpack on his head twice during the ride.
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“I was talking to my three friends in front of me, and this kid behind me, his backpack slid under my seat, so I picked it up and I held it over the seat,” Grayson explained. “He took it, and then like a minute went by, and then like his backpack, he slammed it on my head, and then I was like this on my seat, and then he dropped it on my head a second time.”
Though the photos of Grayson’s injury look severe, he did not require stitches or suffer a concussion. However, his mother, Ashleigh Sargent, struggled to get clear answers from the school district about the investigation into the attack.
Sargent said the district only took the incident seriously after she posted her frustrations on Facebook Saturday.
Paul Abbatinozzi, Chief of Staff for St. Johns County Schools, said he became aware of the situation over the weekend and contacted Sargent on Monday.
“We certainly don’t condone or accept behavior of that nature, whether it’s in the classroom or on our buses,” Abbatinozzi said. “I’ve said repeatedly to folks that our buses are extensions of the classroom.”
Sargent told News4JAX she learned the student who attacked her son received a five-day suspension and that she plans to hire a lawyer. Abbatinozzi declined to share specific details about the punishment but confirmed the incident was treated as a level four infraction under the district’s code of conduct.
According to the St. Johns County student code of conduct, a school administration shall take appropriate action for a level four infraction. Disciplinary action, can include and is not limited to a mandatory out-of-school suspension of up to 10 days.
News4JAX Crime and Safety Analyst Tom Hackney said parents deserve clear answers in these situations and should escalate concerns to higher authorities if needed.
“Get to somebody that has some authority, that has responsibility, and can provide you with clear answers,” Hackney said. “And really, the same goes from the school board.”
News4JAX has contacted the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office for an update on their investigation and is awaiting a response.