Webb: Prosecutor won’t pursue case involving student’s injuries

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Youngstown City School Superintendent Wendy Webb

STAFF REPORT

YOUNGSTOWN — The superintendent of city schools said police have ended their investigation into the claim of a 15-year-old student at Odyssey: School of Possibilities that school staff injured his hands.

Wendy Webb said the city prosecutor’s office won’t pursue the case.

City Prosecutor Jay Macejko said police met with an assistant city prosecutor regarding the case after determining that teachers’ statements about what occurred with the student Jan. 29 didn’t support the student’s version of events. The decision was made not to proceed, he said.

Webb said a report of the incident showed the injuries suffered by the student weren’t inflicted by the school staff. She said the investigation showed the boy’s injuries were consistent with his striking a hard object such as a wall.

The student told police that teachers had restrained him in a hallway, and one of the teachers had twisted his hand behind his back.

The boy’s mother told police her son was taken to a hospital, where it was determined he had a fracture to his right hand and a possible fracture to his left hand.

Odyssey is a school where students with behavioral issues are assigned, and the staff is trained in how to deal with unruly students to avoid injury to the child and themselves, Webb said.

The district won’t tolerate abuse of students or staff, she added.