Saline school district plans public forum to discuss race issues, playground safety after assault

“It seemed like this was a hot topic on people’s minds and, in terms of security, let them know what we currently do and what more we can do with their help,” said Steve Laatsch, the district’s assistant superintendent of instruction who will lead the forum.

Questions about the April 20 attack will be addressed, Laatsch said. But the forum will also incorporate discussions about transportation safety and student health, given a recent whooping cough outbreak. Laatsch said he also expects many questions about how the district will operate after announcing teacher layoffs last month.

An assault on the playground at Heritage Elementary School remains under investigation.

Courtesy of Saline Area Schools

Laatsch and administrators won't discuss specifics of the assault while it is still under investigation by Saline police. Laatsch said an investigation by Heritage Principal Betty Rosen-Leacher revealed seven sixth grade boys were involved in the lunch-time assault, and each was disciplined according to the level of involvement. He would not elaborate.

Police said the victim went into convulsions and showed seizure-like symptoms after he was pushed down to the ground from behind. He lost consciousness and was taken by ambulance to the hospital for evaluation. He was released later that day.

Parent volunteers at the playground could not see the assault, officials said.

Investigators were still interviewing students and witnesses and will send their report to prosecutors for review, Saline Police Chief Paul Bunten said.

In the meantime, the boy’s father said he has consulted with an attorney and may file civil suits either against the district, the assailants, or both. He insists his son, one of only a handful of black students at the school, was the target of a racially-motivated attack.

“There is no doubt in my mind that race was an issue in this,” the man said in a phone interview this week. He declined to give his name but said he will soon make formal statements with his attorney.

His son is physically recovered and has had weekly doctor’s visits since the incident. However, he’s having difficulty going back to classes, his father said. He said three of the boys accused of being involved in the assault were previously disciplined for calling his son racially insensitive terms.

Although police and school officials wouldn't discuss the specifics of the case, both Laatsch and Bunten said they have no information indicating race was a factor. They also noted one of the boys involved and disciplined by the school is black.

Art Aisner is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 723-623-2530.