Wiscasset Middle High School eighth grader Gavin James had gym May 19.

There, according to police and school officials, a high schooler allegedly assaulted the 14-year-old.

D’Antae Dawkins, 18, was arrested the next day on a charge of aggravated assault.

Wiscasset Police Sgt. Jonathan Barnes arrested Dawkins May 20 and took him to Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset, where booking has told Wiscasset Newspaper Dawkins was released that day on $2,000 bail with conditions including home confinement, with school, work and appointments as exceptions.

He will not be at school the rest of the school year, according to WMHS Principal Sarah Hubert. 

The incident came a week after Wiscasset's school committee discussed concerns members said they hear about whether WMHS's middle and high students are separated, or separated enough. And the incident has set off a fresh social media wave of concern about school safety in Wiscasset.

'Nightmare'

James' parents Ashley and Scott James said what they learned of the incident, especially seeing a video, shocked them and they could not sleep for days. "It's been a nightmare, really," Scott James said. Based on what he heard from the school the day it happened, he was surprised at the marks on his son's neck the next day. And by last Thursday, Ashley James was taking her son to the hospital to get checked out because his throat was sore; his voice, hoarse. 

An MRI showed no severe injuries, she said. "(The hospital) just said rest and ibuprofen."

As for seeing the video of the incident, she said, "My heart was so broken, when I saw my son in that situation."

Communication

According to Hubert in an interview and in a letter to the Jameses, she, too, did not know the seriousness of the incident until seeing the video, due to a change she said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kim Andersson made last fall in who handled behavior and discipline. (See next section.) Hubert said an email from Ashley James was forwarded to her at about 11 p.m. Tuesday, May 19, the day of the incident.

Hubert told the Jameses, "I chose to look at video of the incident to find out what happened. I was saddened." While she said she did speak up in February about not being able to perform her duties, she wishes she had spoken up back in October, when she said the change occurred.

Andersson also wrote the Jameses. The couple shared with Wiscasset Newspaper photos of Hubert's and Andersson's letters and provided other information and materials; among them, a video showing the gym, a basketball game, and a sequence of events. Barnes' written narrative in connection with the arrest states in part: “The video showed (Dawkins) pinning Gavin to the wall and choking him for almost ten seconds.”

Wiscasset Newspaper sent Barnes the photo it received of the document, and Barnes confirmed it is his narrative. And he said the video appears to be the video of the incident. 

Andersson’s letter to the Jameses May 21 also gives a sequence of events involving the incident, and school staff. 

“The last 48 hours have been extremely difficult; I am so sorry for the incident that occurred in which your son was assaulted by a student during his PE (physical education) class. I can not imagine what you are going through and understand how extremely upset you are. I am doing everything in my power to ensure an incident like this never occurs again to your son or any other student at Wiscasset Schools.

“The incident occurred on Tuesday, May 19, during PE class. Mr. (Matt) Petrie was absent that afternoon and our school nurse, Sommer Maybee, was acting as substitute teacher when the incident occurred. At approximately 1:35, your son and two middle school peers were playing basketball with three high school students. At 1:50 p.m., one of the high students placed his hands on Gavin's neck and pushed him back 10-12 paces to the mats on the wall. He released his hold on your son's neck after 8 seconds. The substitute observed what was happening and moved towards the altercation. When the student released Gavin she told that student to leave.

"The student then turned around and took 11 paces towards your son in a threatening manner and then he stopped and he turned and left the gym. While that was happening, the nurse verbally called for help at the gym door to the main office. She told the office she needed (Assistant Principal Brandon) Rogers right away. Mr. Rogers arrived at 1:51:47. While waiting for Mr. Rogers, the nurse spoke to your son. When Mr. Rogers arrived, he took your son to his office and placed a phone call to Scott. He explained what happened. Gavin returned to class at 2:00 p.m. and continued the remainder of his day normally. Mr. Rogers left his office to address the other student's behavior.

“I am so sorry that this happened. I am doing everything in my power to ensure that an incident such as this does not happen again,” Andersson wrote the Jameses.

May 22, Andersson sent another letter, this one to the school community via the department’s email alert system and Class Dojo. She later told Wiscasset Newspaper, “As a member of the community I was aware of the social media explosion that was a direct result of this (May 19) incident. I felt the community needed to hear a response from the district administration."

In that letter, Andersson stated a high school student "was permitted to be outside designated boundaries and participate in a middle school PE class. This should never have happened. There is no excuse for it, and it is being addressed at multiple levels ..."

"Student safety is our highest priority, and this week revealed that we have not been consistently meeting that standard," Andersson continued. "We must and will do better. When student behavior incidents occur, they can point to larger patterns — in how we supervise, how we respond, and how we hold our students and ourselves, as teachers, staff, and administrators, accountable. 

The Jameses are concerned, and others are more concerned than they already were, about safety at the school. A local social media wave has broken out; and an event billed on Facebook as a "peaceful protest" was planned for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 26 at the school department's central office, also known as the superintendent's office. 

Asked for any comment on the planned protest, Andersson said, "There are few things more American than gathering in solidarity to support a cause, and everyone can support school safety."

Barnes is a former Wiscasset school resource officer (SRO) who has helped fill in while SRO Perry Hatch is on medical leave. Barnes' concerns about safety have increased due to the May 19 incident and others, and he questioned whether all incidents that should be reported are. He will be showing "an increased presence going forward," Barnes said.

Hubert, interviewed separately, said that in October, Andersson told her not to handle behavior and discipline and that Rogers would; that over the school year, Andersson was also overseeing behavior and discipline; and that she (Hubert) had told Andersson students are congregating in the nurse’s office.

Asked if she could confirm these things and did she have any comment, Andersson responded: “We have an Assistant Principal whose primary role is student discipline. Without speaking on a personnel issue, I can confirm that as a team we have discussed student discipline being left to the Assistant Principal, allowing time for the Principal to focus on her primary responsibilities: building management, student safety, and staff supervision and evaluation."

Wiscasset Newspaper asked Andersson what steps if any are being taken to prevent assaults from occurring at school, that were not in place before the May 19 incident.

“There are no new steps being taken. Rather, building and district administration are again reinforcing the basic safety protocols and building management that are in place. Students should be accounted for, students should be supervised, staff should be responsible for these basic functions, and building administration should oversee these basic aspects of student safety and building management. We have clearly struggled in this area.

“I was first made aware that building management and basic safety issues were a concern in the 24-25 school year. I have worked closely with Principal Hubert to rectify these basic situations over the past two years. Ultimately Principal Hubert tendered her resignation in March, effective at the end of the school year."

Barnes, who's also vice chair of Wiscasset's school committee, told Wiscasset Newspaper, Andersson "is in charge of the day to day at the WMHS and responsible for everything that occurred. She also is now trying to 'fix' things that I and others have tried to bring to her attention for two years or longer and got ignored."

Asked for comment, Andersson said, "I am surprised that officer Barnes would make a statement like this since the Chair is the spokesperson of the School Committee. I assume he was speaking as a police officer or in some other capacity. The School Committee discussed Principal Hubert’s role as building Principal at the March meeting when her resignation was announced. I work out of the Central Office and also have the Wiscasset Elementary School under my purview. Recent events have demanded more of my time at WMHS and I do everything in my power to help support at the school."

Wiscasset Newspaper told Andersson the Jameses were displeased they did not get more of a description of the incident sooner. How does she feel about how, when and what the Jameses were informed? 

"My heart goes out to the James family. I cannot imagine any situation in which they could possibly feel better except that if this had never happened at all. Within minutes of the incident, our building administration contacted them by telephone and we have had several conversations since. It was a terrible situation."

Soon Hubert, who resigned in March effective June 30, will leave the job she said she had not been allowed to fully do. She told Wiscasset Newspaper Monday, "It has been a true honor to work alongside so many dedicated teachers, coaches, staff, and community organizations and volunteers who care deeply about the students who attend WMHS.

"Leaving the principal position was not an easy decision, and it comes after significant reflection about my ability to effectively fulfill the responsibilities of principalship under the leadership of the Wiscasset School Department ... Despite the challenges I faced, I remain grateful for the relationships and accomplishments built during my time at WMHS, and I will continue to believe deeply in the incredible potential of this school community. Thank you, Wiscasset, for allowing me to be part of your community not only for the past three years, but also during my time here a decade ago. Wiscasset is truly small but mighty!"

Hubert said her last day will be June 18 "because I (will) have met my contract days as of then."

The May 19 incident and its aftermath, including all these comments, come as the school committee's annual evaluation of the superintendent is underway. Any concerns the events of the past week could have any impact on the evaluation? None, Andersson said. And she does not expect to speak about the May 19 incident in a school committee meeting. 

"While it was a terrible incident, it is a matter that requires, per various laws and policies and procedures, the protection of the privacy of numerous persons, including the victim, the aggressor, personnel, other students, and witnesses," Andersson said.

Wiscasset Newspaper has also sought any comment from Rogers, School Committee Chair Tracy Whitney and the family of D'Antae Dawkins.