A Black third-grade student claims he was assaulted and then bribed by a police officer at W.B. Patterson Elementary School in Washington, D.C., after a school assembly.
Alexis Gibbs said her 9-year-old son Raynard came home on March 30 with bruises on his face. She then asked him about them, and he told her the marks had come from an officer.
“I’m just trying to get to the bottom of it,” said Gibbs to NBC29 News. “Like I said, I’m not OK. My son was harmed in the hands of you know, the school.”
The assembly reportedly was organized in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Department for the school’s third-grade boys. Raynard says the incident started when the topic of Crips and Bloods came up during the assembly. He said he and two other students were taken into a computer room, accused of admiring gangs, and then slammed into a desk.
“Grabbed me by the neck and slammed me on the desk,” Raynard recounted.
The third grader says his lip was busted and another child’s tooth was chipped. The photos also show that Raynard has a cut on his right nostril.
“He said ‘Don’t tell your parents, I get y’all some pizza,’” he said. “Keep it quiet, don’t tell your parents.”
According to reports, the school did acknowledge there was an assembly involving the third-grade boys and police. Washington D.C. Public Schools was made aware of the incident and sent out a letter to parents.
The school principal, Dr. Victorie Thomas, sent home a letter the next day following the incident, according to NBC29 News.
“During an assembly activity, it was reported by students that a visiting officer conducted a demonstration on a student that involved physical force. As a principal, I take this allegation seriously, and I want to reassure families that we have followed all DCPS procedures regarding the conduct of any adult in our building.”
The letter also said, “The incident has been referred to Metropolitan Police Department for further investigation and internal DCPS teams for support for our students.”
The officer’s identity was not released, and the Metropolitan Police Department declined to comment about the incident to NBC29 News as they are continuing their investigation. The school also provided no further comment on the incident.
