Viral Facebook post claims Appleton fifth-grader suffered brain bleed due to bullying; police investigating

APPLETON -- A Facebook post that has gone viral indicates an Appleton fifth-grader suffered a concussion and brain bleed as a result of bullying. Appleton police are investigating.

It happened on December 6th. The School Resource Unit at Appleton PD was made aware of an allegation regarding the physical harm of an elementary school student during recess. The complaint alleges a student received a head injury as the result of a bullying incident involving a fellow student.



Appleton police said they have a school resource officer assigned to the school and they're conducting a thorough investigation.

Meanwhile, the below Facebook post, offering more details on the incident, has gone viral. It was posted by a man who indicated the boy's mother came to him "to share something that should never happen to any child." Police have not confirmed any of the detailed allegations made in the post.



In a statement Wednesday afternoon, the Appleton Area School District said there is "considerable misinformation" being spread on social media regarding the school and district's response to the incident.

Below is the school district's complete statement:

During our review of a recent incident at Horizons Elementary School, we became aware that there is considerable misinformation being posted on social media regarding how this incident was handled at the school and District levels.

While we are not able to address the specifics of any particular student matter, our investigation has shown that the school and the District did act appropriately to address the allegations brought forth. While we recognize that these situations may not result in what individuals want or demand, solutions are based on full investigations and the facts of each situation.

We want to assure our families, parents, guardians and community that the District has policies, procedures and programs in place that are intended to prevent and address all bullying behaviors in each of our schools. Our staff work hard every day to create a safe and welcoming environment and to keep our schools safe and free from intimidation, bullying and harassment.

Bullying behaviors have a significant impact on students. To address bullying concerns District-wide, we implement social skills programming such as Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), provide multiple ways for our students and parents to report concerns, and prioritize placing trusted adults in our schools, including our School Resource Officers.

While all of these proactive measures are firmly and consistently in place across our District, we understand that students will make mistakes and that bullying behaviors unfortunately do occur in our schools. We ask our parents and guardians to help us in this ongoing work. Report your concerns, reach out to your student’s teachers or principals and help us to keep our schools safe and welcoming for all.

Please know that we always have and will continue to take any and all situations of bullying or alleged bullying very seriously and will continue to collaborate appropriately with the Appleton Police Department to address these situations.

To learn more about how we support a positive learning environment for all students, as well as how we address bullying in the AASD, please go to: http://www.aasd.k12.wi.us/parents/bullying_pbis_