WYOMING COUNTY/Family of student in Warsaw Central School incident supports the District’s response in a statement

Family Statement/February 14th

In light of the significant media attention surrounding the recent incident involving our son at Warsaw Central School, we feel it is important to share our perspective.

First and foremost, we would like to thank the Warsaw Central School District for their prompt and thorough response. We appreciate the efforts of the Superintendent, the Middle/High School Principal, and all those involved in addressing the situation and administering appropriate disciplinary consequences.

We viewed the video footage the day after the incident occurred. After careful consideration, we believe the school handled the matter appropriately. Based on both the video and our son’s account, we do not believe this incident was premeditated, hazing, racially motivated, or a sexual assault. However, it was a serious act of bullying, which is unacceptable and required immediate attention.

We firmly believe that bullying of any kind should never be tolerated. In this case, we feel the school responded in a way that reflected the seriousness of the behavior and took proper steps to address it.

Unfortunately, there has been a great deal of misinformation, speculation, and false allegations circulating in the community and on social media. Some individuals have spoken publicly or given interviews without our consent and without representing our family’s views. We ask that our family’s privacy be respected moving forward.

Most importantly, our son is doing well. He has handled this situation with maturity and resilience and has not experienced lasting emotional or physical harm. Like any teenager, he simply wants to move forward and return to normal life. We are incredibly proud of the strength and character he has shown.

We also extend empathy to anyone who may have been impacted by the broader attention surrounding this situation.

Again, we thank the Warsaw Central School District and the members of our community who have shown concern and support. We value this community deeply and look forward to continuing to live, work, and serve here.