In light of recent incidents at John Burroughs Middle School, it is essential to address the school’s troubling mishandling of student violence and its apparent lack of accountability, particularly in cases involving Korean-American students.
A Korean-American parent, who wishes to remain anonymous, reported that her son, an eighth-grader at John Burroughs, was assaulted by a Korean-American classmate during lunch in May. Despite the seriousness of the incident, the school allegedly failed to take appropriate action.
“My son was about to graduate in early June, and the school called me in mid-May,” she recounted. “They said he had a fight with a friend and was slightly injured. But in reality, my child was punched in the mouth and nose, leaving bruises on his face as if he had been in a boxing match. His mouth kept bleeding, so we went to the dentist, who confirmed that his front tooth was broken.”
When the parent requested that the school take action, she was met with resistance and a lack of transparency, with the school citing “student privacy” as a reason for withholding information about the incident. “My child has a broken tooth that will require an implant later,” she said. “I asked the school to separate my child from the offending student before graduation, but they refused. The only step they took was to keep him with a counselor until he graduated in June.”
This incident—resulting in physical injury and ongoing emotional distress—reveals serious gaps in the school’s approach to student safety and its commitment to accountability. The mother filed a report with the school police, yet the school reportedly failed to follow up.
The handling of this assault incident coincides with another troubling case involving Korean-American students at the same school around the same time. Two eighth-graders—a Korean-American boy and a Korean-American girl—were found to have distributed “sextortion” photos of another Korean-American student (a boy) both on social media and in person. According to the victim’s parent, the female perpetrator pressured her friend into sending compromising photos, which were subsequently shared with others.
The school’s failure to address these serious incidents has raised concerns among parents about their children’s safety and the administration’s dedication to discipline and support. The reluctance to provide transparent information or enforce meaningful disciplinary action is deeply concerning.
When parents report serious issues and seek accountability, the school’s response should prioritize victim support, ensure clear communication, and take decisive steps to prevent recurrence. Instead, vague reassurances and delayed responses have only amplified frustration and mistrust within the school community.
No parent should have to repeatedly advocate for their child’s safety or seek basic answers about what measures the school will take. Shielding an offending student under the guise of “privacy” disregards the needs of the victim and undermines the principle of zero tolerance for violence. Schools must balance privacy with accountability, ensuring that disciplinary actions are transparent, fair, and consistently enforced.
The school’s actions convey a disturbing message—that serious incidents might go unaddressed, leaving parents with no choice but to pursue legal action. School administrators must take responsibility by adopting protocols that swiftly and fairly address violence while supporting the healing process for affected students.
We urge John Burroughs Middle School and the city’s school supervisory administration to enforce meaningful disciplinary actions, provide adequate support for victims, and restore parents’ trust in the school’s ability to protect its students. The safety and well-being of every student must remain paramount. It is time for schools to commit to a higher standard of accountability.
By Mooyoung Lee [lee.mooyoung@koreadaily.com]
