WILMINGTON, MASS. (WHDH) - A school in Wilmington is at the center of a state investigation after several parents have come forward claiming their children have come home with bruises.
Photos of bruises blooming up and down a 3-year-old boys legs are what launched an abuse investigation into Wilmington’s Wildwood School.
“As a father, to know that someone hurt my child – out of my care – I broke down a little bit,” said Alex Condell, who exposed the problems in a social media post back in May when the son he shares with Sabrina Veloza came home with bruises.
“We put our trust in the school system and I feel like that’s been destroyed,” Veloza said.
That post hit a nerve and more Wilmington parents started coming forward and saying their children were harmed at Wildwood too.
“This is the very tip of this iceberg. This apparently has gone on of decades – not years – decades,” said Attorney Steve Bergel, who is representing the victims.
Roberta Biscan said her now 17-year old son who is living with Autism attended the school back in 2009. According to her, he was hurt four times in just seven months.
“My main goal at that point was to make sure my son was taken out of that classroom,” she said. “I feel an immense sense of guilt that I didn’t do more back then. Perhaps I could have prevented what’s gone on since then.”
One month after Condell’s stunning revelation, and with a town investigation still ongoing, the Wilmington superintendent sent out this letter reading:
“I am writing to update you on allegations of child abuse/neglect brought forth against Wildwood staff. We recently received reports from the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families supporting some of those allegations.”
The superintendent confirmed that some staff members have been placed on administrative leave.
“They know this is something very serious, very significant went on in that school,” Bergel said. “I think this investigation is going to get to the bottom of it and I think at that point it will be brought to authorities and there will be charges … probably multiple charges.”
