About 30 people gathered outside Boardman High School before the school board meeting on Monday night

by: Jacob Thompson

Posted: Mar 22, 2021 / 9:40 am EDT /. Updated: March 22, 2021 / 10:16 p.m. EDT

BOARDMAN, Ohio (WKBN) – Last month it was reported that a Boardman student had a note pinned to his hair by a teacher’s aide. Since then, the aide resigned, but the child’s family and friends are still upset.

About 30 people gathered outside Boardman High School before the school board meeting on Monday night. Many of them wore red in support of the child with special needs who had a note pinned to their hair. The group tries to prevent this from happening again.

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“If we had a child who had no voice and couldn’t speak, we would never have known this happened to Macade,” said Sheri Hartley, the victim’s aunt.

The group also displayed red balls to show support for children across the country who were affected by school bullying. People submitted names of children online, and that name was written on a ball.

“The support we get from every parent with a child with special needs is important. We want you to know that you will not be left out. You are not left behind, ”Hartley said.

Before the group went to the school council meeting, Hartley claimed Macade wasn’t getting the support he needed as a child with special needs.

Superintendent Tim Saxton said he had no comment on the matter.

“You can’t really talk about the individual plan for a child with special needs. So I feel embarrassed to comment on this, ”he said.

Hartley is also frustrated because she says the board didn’t try to contact.

“You left macade in the dust. Nobody from the administration asked how Macade is doing. Nobody asked where he was in school, ”Hartley said.

Saxton said there was a lot of contact with the student’s family.

“I can tell you that the Boardman Center Intermediate School was in contact with the child’s family almost every day,” he said.

The adjutant in question is no longer in the district and the prosecution has no plans to bring charges.