Bahamas: Police officer beats 10-year-old in school for refusing to tell his GPA score

Bahamas: A 10-year-old was allegedly beaten by a police officer at a local primary school in the Bahamas, after the boy refused to tell his GPA score. The victim’s mother told local media that the officer, who was not assigned to her son’s primary school as a resource officer, but he still entered his class and started questioning kids about their GPA scores.  

When the boy’s classmate replied, the officer allegedly called him up and accused the 10-year-old student of being rude following which he gave him ten laps as punishment. The situation reportedly escalated after the boy refused to do laps and the boy was beaten with a paddle which left him with several bruises on his body. 

The mother described her son’s emotional trauma said that he has been ‘mentally traumatized, physically broken, and longing for answers.’  

She expressed her frustration and disappointment with the school's response, claiming that the principal apologized, but the teacher who brought the officer to the classroom showed no remorse. 

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education has released a statement confirming that the matter is under active investigation, and they are questioning the principal and officer in charge reasons behind the alleged abuse. The Ministry has also urged the mother to stay calm in this situation and expressed their sympathy with her.  

Resource Officer Concept in Bahamas 

Resource Officers, often called School Resource Officers (SROs), are present in the Bahamian schools to primarily maintain safety and security on campus. Such officers are not required to make personal checks in the classrooms.  

The mother further raised her concerns about the possible discrimination, saying that her son’s Creole last name might have played a role in the officer’s actions. "I do think that his last name played a part because she couldn't do that to a Smith or a Roll," she said.