West Cook News

During a recent Oak Brook District 97 board meeting, a clearly exasperated parent of a Percy Julian Middle School student described a shocking series of assaults and battery committed against her daughter and the school's lack of response in preventing a forewarned attack. 

Jessica Todd told board members at a May 28 meeting that she reached out to school officials beginning in December 2022 with concerns about her child being threatened by another student. The student who untimately beat her daughter Feb. 24, 2023, on the head, shoulder, face and neck, had warned of attack in advance, saying a chair would be thrown at her and her face would be slapped. 

After Todd's daughter was beaten in her classroom in front of the teacher, her daughter was walked out of the classroom side by side with the student who attacked her and was sent to the school nurse. Todd was not notified of the attack until her daughter was returned to her classroom. 

Todd read a voicemail message she received on the day of the attack:

“Good morning Ms. Todd, this is a CNA at Julian and I'm calling you about your child. She is fine, however, I wanted to inform you that unfortunately there was an altercation with another student and she was hit multiple times on the head, shoulder, face, and neck. We noted red marks on her left shoulder and neck. We kept her for 30 minutes to ice and observe her. She was alert and oriented so we sent her back to class. Ms. Thomas will also be reaching out to you. She’s our assistant principal for discipline...Thank you. Have a good day."

Todd said that no administrator has met with her and no social worker has met with her child.

She also expressed insult at an email parents received on May 23 after the school went on lockdown due to a recorded and well circulated student fight. Parents were told not to worry because only one student was impacted.

"My daughter was impacted, all students were impacted," Todd said, while also noting that the same student who attacked her daughter was involved in the May 23 fight.

She said that her daughter wanted her story told, and wanted to ask for the public's help as students do not feel safe at school.

"What does it take?" Todd asked. "What does it take?"