By Tahna Weston
The 15-year-old student who allegedly took a firearm onto the compound of the Clare Hall Secondary School (CHSS) and was expelled from the public school system as a result, has been given a second chance to continue his educational pursuits.
Based on a High Court order, the teenager is expected to commence classes at a government-run educational institution at the beginning of the new school term on Monday.
Last November, the teenager was expelled from the government school system following a meeting with the Director of Education, Clare Browne.
Browne, during an earlier interview, had indicated that seven other students were investigated in connection with the incident but the student that was charged had confessed.
At the time he said that while the other students remain at the school under strict contracts, the main suspect would not be allowed to return to any public secondary school, as the incident caused significant disruption at the school and they do not wish for that to happen again.
However, the boy’s mother challenged the decision in the High Court by making an application for an order of certiorari “a writ or order by which a higher court reviews a case tried in a lower court” and other relief. It was the mother’s view that the expulsion was without good cause.
The application against the Director of Education was filed on November 25, 2024 and heard before Justice Rene Williams, with Browne, the teenager and his mother present.
During the proceedings, the director, based on a court document which Observer was able to obtain, agreed not to enforce his decision to expel the 15 year old from all public secondary schools in Antigua and Barbuda. That was communicated to him by way of a letter dated November 11, 2024, until further order of the court.
Browne also agreed to provide the applicant with continued education at a government-run institution with some stipulated prerequisites, including that the Ministry of Education provides assistance to the teenager through the Special Needs Unit within the Ministry due to his learning disability.
The court ruled that the cost to be paid to the institution be commensurate with that of his former school.
Additionally, the court has placed a gag order on the Director of Education along with other officials within the Ministry of Education from speaking to or publicizing any information to the media or the general public until the matter is resolved before the court.
The case has been adjourned to January 21 for further hearing. The parties will bear their own costs, the court ruled.
The teenager has been charged for using a firearm in the furtherance of an offence, to wit, assault.
However, Observer understands that following the court matter, the police amended the charge and gave a copy to his mother. The new charge states that he did attempt to use the weapon in the furtherance of an offence.
The incident in which the teen was involved occurred on September 27, last year, sometime after midday when he was reportedly spotted with a firearm. An alarm was raised and the school went into an immediate lockdown for several hours, during which students were restricted from leaving the compound.
Police later arrived on the scene and carried out an extensive search of the compound. However, the weapon has allegedly not been recovered.
The teenager was taken into custody the same day and subsequently charged. He was initially remanded to His Majesty’s Prison after appearing before the Child Justice Board. An application was made in the High Court but he was again denied bail. It was on his second attempt at obtaining bail in the High Court that he was released on $15,000 bond with two sureties and no cash deposit.
Attorney Peyton Knight appeared for the teen while Browne was represented by Carla Brookes-Harris, Rose-Anne Kim, Zachary Phillips, and Nneka Nicholas.
