Principal of the Parkinson Memorial Secondary School, Jeffery Broomes has been allegedly attacked for the second time since he took up his position at that institution. Helen Louise Gill, 54, of Forde’s Road, Clapham, Christ Church, and 21-year-old Denissa Shontelle Foster, of North Close, Wildey, St Michael, were granted $5 000 bail each when they appeared in the District “A” Magistrates’ Court today.
They are jointly charged with assaulting Broomes, trespassing on the school’s premises and misbehaving, as the principal was leaving the Pine, St Michael school around 4:30 p.m. yesterday.
Foster is separately charged with damaging the principal’s vehicle.
The duo will reappear in court next April. This was the second time Broomes had allegedly been assaulted by a parent since being transferred from The Alexandra School to Parkinson Memorial.
In May this year, 35-year-old Peter St Mark, of Pasture Road, Haggatt Hall, was charged with assaulting Broomes. St Mark, who was also accused of criminal damage of the school’s property, is the stepfather of a 15-year-old student.
It was alleged that that attack was triggered after Broomes contacted the parent of the 15-year-old over her attendance record.
Speaking at the school’s speech day and prize giving ceremony today Broomes lamented bad behaviour by both students and parents across the island, saying Parkinson was not exempt from “the difficulties impacting our society and our schools”.
Broomes, who has been the centre of controversy in the past, said that almost daily the school had to deal with issues such as fights, some of which also involved parents, throwing of stones, gambling, use of obscene language, disrespect for authority and rules and defacing of property.
“I can say publicly, I have no difficulty in saying it now. Only yesterday evening I had to lodge a complaint to the Royal Barbados Police Force [at] District “A” [Police Station] for a parent who came on the school’s premises and was most egregious in their verbal and physical behaviour towards a principal. Yes I got beat again. But it wont end there; the police will take care of it,” said Broomes.
The speech day and award ceremony was held at the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic. (MM)