Newport School Committee to launch investigation into alleged special needs student assault

NEWPORT, R.I. (WLNE) — The Newport School Committee said an independent investigation with be launched into the alleged assault of a student with special needs.

The committee voted Wednesday to hire an independent investigator to look into a series of recent incidents at Roger High School, including the alleged assault.

According to Newport police, four students at Roger High School were arrested after an alleged assault on a student with severe impairments in the school’s locker room.

The Newport School Committee said it is conducting the third-party investigation to “help ensure that such incidents do not happen again.”

This is in addition to the Newport Police Department’s criminal investigation into the alleged assault.

The committee said the independent review will be aimed at identifying potential corrective actions and the school’s response to the reported incidents, including if procedures were “properly followed,” where communication “broke down,” and what systemic issues may have played a role.

Newport School Committee Chair James Dring said he is “confident that we will be able to provide a full accounting to our community by the end of next month.”