PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – For Jamie Boucher, it’s an emotional situation. As a parent, she does everything she can to keep her daughter safe.
“That’s your kid and to feel so helpless in that situation, and then afterwards too, you can’t do anything about it. It’s an upsetting situation,” Boucher said.
Last Tuesday, Boucher said her 8-year-old daughter returned home bruised, bloodied, and with a chipped adult front tooth.
A passerby spotted the girl, Melrose Santana, and helped break up the situation before taking her home.
Noon report:
“She comes in the front door – covered in blood, freaking out … and she was just like, ‘They hit me, they hit me!’ And it was a scary and frantic moment,” Boucher recalled.
Boucher said Santana told her a 6-year old student, who had an older sibling on the bus, was yanking her bookbag and pestering her. Once they got off the bus, Melrose said the girl started making fun of her. Shortly afterwards. someone pushed her down from behind.
Boucher said a passerby found Melrose and drove her home.
“She calls me ugly, she tells me my lip is big…” Melrose said. “I said I never wanted to go to school again.”
The incident occurred off school grounds, but Boucher is left wondering whether it started on the school bus.
The children had just left Grove Park Elementary in Palm Beach Gardens when the altercation happened.
Boucher went to the school for answers, but she says she left with more questions. She requested to see surveillance video from the bus but was allegedly told she couldn’t. She also learned that the principal called the other family involved but said little else.
“She did sit down and call the parents and everything but at the end it was just – ‘I’m so sorry,’ and that was it,”' Boucher said.
The School District of Palm Beach County issued a statement regarding the incident, which read:
“Student safety and security is the top priority of every school within The School District of PBC. This matter is currently under investigation. Any student found to have violated the Student Code of Conduct will be subject to strict disciplinary action.”
Boucher told Local 10 News that she is exploring her options and considering legal action following the incident.
