School principal on trial charged with assaulting boy

The mother of a nine-year-old boy who claimed he was assaulted by his primary school principal has denied given permission to the school to use physical contact to restrain the boy if necessary.

A principal is on trial at Cork District Court on a charge of assaulting a primary-school pupil.

The schoolboy claimed he was in the staff room with his special needs assistant on the 29th of June 2014 when the principal came in and told him to come to a test. He said the principal then proceeded to drag him out before going on to smack him in the head. The boy claimed there were five other similar incidents involving the principal.

Frank Buttimer, for the defence, said the pupil had attended two previous primary schools where there was a “litany” of incidents involving his behaviour. He said the boy had been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome and had for a time attended a special unit for children on the autistic spectrum.

The boy’s mother refuted suggestions made by Mr Buttimer that she had authorised the principal to use physical contact on her son.

“No I didn’t (give permission for restraint). What happened on that day – there is no excuse for it. He (the principal) couldn’t even look at me. I went in to the staff room where he (her son) was very upset. He ran out and wrapped his arms around me. It was a chaotic situation for a child.”

Mr Buttimer said the boy had a wide range of problems at his previous schools including kicking a special needs assistant in the stomach.

Shocked

The mother acknowledged that the principal often had to block the entrance in the mornings to prevent her son from leaving.

The trial heard from two women from a hygiene company who were at the school when they stumbled across the incident of late June, 2014. The second woman who gave evidence said she was shocked by the exchange between the student and his principal.

“I heard him (the principal) say he was sick of the child and he was dragging the child. He had his arms around the child. The child was screaming for his mam and for help. He (the principal) was kicking his legs and pushing the child to walk.

“The child was brought up to the prefab. We looked in the window and the man (the principal) caught the child by the front of his clothes and was slamming him up against the wall. I ran to get help.”

The principal said he never intended to assault the child and he was only trying to protect him.

He told the court he had seen the boy lash out at his own mother as she attempted to drop him off in the morning. He said he often had to hold him and be firm with him for his own safety and the safety of others. He apologised for any upset caused but said it was never his intention to assault the boy or cause him any harm.

Judge John King will deliver his verdict in the case next Monday.