A six year old boy at Patterson School in Southwest Philadelphia is the victim of school bullying and attacks, according to his father. The boy's bruises after returning home from school sparked confusion and worry in his parents.
Gbahtuo Comgbaye describes his son Menduawor as soft-spoken and studious. He says the first grader is being routinely beaten by three bigger classmates who told him they dislike his name, according to the Inquirer.
Gbahtuo is a West African immigrant who came to the United States in 2001 from Liberia.
In mid-September Menduawor asked his father,“If my friends beat me up, and hurt me, and wanted to kill me, would you do something about it?” Comgbaye told the Inquirer.
Comgbaye became increasingly alarmed and horrified after his son came home multiple times upset and bruised. However, Comgbaye’s pleas-- phone calls and letters to the school’s teachers, principal and superintendent brought about no changes.
At the end of September an incident occurred that was so severe, Comgbaye's wife and the child’s mother, Rachael, had to take her son to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where records show Menduawor was treated for chest and abdominal injuries. A physician said the blows were caused by a person or object, reports the Inquirer.
The Comgbayes filed a police report and then made sure that one parent would meet their son every day after school.
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On September 27, Menduawor was knocked down while holding his father's hand. The attacker quickly ran and hid in a crowd of students but was identified by Menduawor as one of the three African American boys who had been bullying and assaulting him, according to the Inquirer.
