A local mom has filed a notice of civil claim against the Mission Public School District, saying her nine-year-son was sexually abused by five boys while at school.
The claim, filed Jan. 9 in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver, alleges that the boy 鈥 who is in Grade 4 鈥 was assaulted Nov. 1, 2022 on the school grounds.
The Record is not naming the child, his mom or the school in order to protect the boy鈥檚 identity.
According to the civil claim, the student reported the incident to school administration, and the five boys allegedly involved in the incident were sent home.
The court documents state that the boy was not sent to a medical facility, and his mom only found out about the incident when she arrived at the end of the school day to pick up her son.
She then reported the incident to the police.
The civil claim states that the principal told the mom that the school was investigating and the children involved would not be allowed to return to school until the investigation was complete.
However, the next day, one of the five students had already returned to class, the documents say.
The claim says the school administration, after learning about the assault, 鈥渇ailed to take the proper steps鈥 to report and investigate the assault.
The school did not immediately notify the Ministry of Children and Family Development, the police, or the student鈥檚 parents, the claim states.
It also says the students involved were never disciplined or expelled and were known by staff to have assaulted other students.
The court documents say that the student suffered injuries that included physical pain, injuries to the legs and buttocks, mental anguish, feelings of guilt and shame, and more.
The claim seeks general and special damages; loss of earnings and earning capacity, past, present and future; loss of housekeeping capacity; cost of future care; past and future cost of health care services and more.
None of the allegations in the lawsuit has been proved in court, and the school district has not yet filed a response to the notice of civil claim.