Mother angry over son’s expulsion

By: CARISSA HEBERT

Managing Editor

Kelly Bolfa said the Evangeline Parish School Board has not seen the last of her in regards to her son’s expulsion, and she will continue to explore routes for something she considers an injustice.

Bolfa’s 13-year-old son, a student at Bayou Chicot Elementary, was expelled from school after mooning a bus driver behind his bus. Bolfa said she has learned since the incident the driver was a substitute driver. She attempted to locate this woman, because she wanted her son to apologize for what he had done.

Bolfa said the principal contacted her after the incident and explained her son would be suspended for five days for this infraction. She said her son was also punished by her, and she was okay with the five days. She said the principal told her to send her son to school Monday and she would discuss the consequences of this episode with Bolfa’s son.

Bolfa said on Monday, she learned her son was expelled. She is very upset, because she claims the principal lied to her. She said the principal told her the expulsion was mandated by the school board’s central office.

Superintendent Toni Hamlin said expulsions are recommended by the principal. When an expulsion is recommended, the child is called to a hearing at the central office. The committee determines whether expulsion is necessary. Bolfa said the principal promised her she would be at that hearing to talk for Bolfa’s son, but the principal did not appear.

Bolfa said her son has never been in any serious trouble during his entire school life. She does not believe the expulsion is warranted and believes the district is not being fair. She said her son was wrong. He and a group of boys discussed it, and he did moon the driver behind his bus. She said the principal called the boys into the office and threatened them with expulsion if they did not identify the person who did this.

Bolfa went to the hearing and her son was expelled. Then she appealed, and the board upheld the case. She said there have been many similar cases that resulted in suspension, not expulsion. Her son, who has no discipline problems, is being made an example of. She claims this year she had to go to school to pick up her son after two boys held him and kicked him between the legs. She said he could not go to the bathroom without pain for several days and those boys were only suspended. She also made reference to a case at Pine Prairie where two girls were found in the bathroom in an awkward situation, and those girls received less than a day suspension. Superintendent Hamlin said no case occurred at Pine after she spoke to the principal to make sure this had not happened.

Bolfa has contacted an attorney and the BESE Board. She does not believe justice occurred in this case, and she is pursuing her options.