Mom wants discipline after she says her child's hair was pulled on bus
PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) - A parent wants discipline after she says her child's hair was pulled on the school bus.
"I started checking out her head and that's when I seen the bald spot," said Dynnae Berrian. She can't believe what her 8-year-old daughter Zyiah said happened on the school bus.
"She said the girl came up and just pulled her hair."
Zyiah is in second grade at Mathematics, Civics and Sciences Charter School. She says a 5th grade girl pulled her hair on the bus ride home. It happened on October 19th. Her mother says she immediately contacted the bus driver and the school CEO who said she would ask the bus coordinator to look into it.
"And that somebody would handle the situation, it was totally unacceptable and that they would get back to me," said Dynnae. The next day they got a call from the principal.
"He said he spoke with the mother of the child as well as the student and they were both remorseful. The little girl was crying and he believed the situation is handled and over with," said Dynnae.
But they weren't satisfied and sent an email to the school CEO asking that the punishment be re-evaluated. They say three days went by and they didn't hear back from the school. So they posted pictures of Zyiah on Facebook from before and after the incident. Nearly a week later they met with school officials ultimately deciding to withdraw Zyiah from the school.
"I just didn't trust them with my child anymore," said Dynnae.
Veronica Joyner is the CEO of the school.
"I'm assuming that the issue was being handled and I was unaware until Wednesday when the parent came into the school that it wasn't and I apologized to her," she said. She feels the family didn't give her enough time to handle the situation and says the bus company shares responsibility.
"The incident in question occurred on the school bus and they don't work for me," said Joyner.
Meanwhile, Zyiah's grandmother says it's not over.
"You're not going to treat my granddaughter like she's less than and that's she's not valued. She matters," said Delvia Berrian. The family says it reached out to the Charter School Office with the School District although the school is an independent charter. We left a message for the bus company.
We're waiting to hear back for them.