South Philadelphia, PENNSYLVANIA

They might - just might - discipline a school principal because she didn't submit a serious-incident report until January 10th, three days after the student was arrested.

Jan 16, 2008 - A 13-year-old girl was attacked by a boy in her class. The school's response when a teacher told the principal was to move the girl to another classroom. The boy remained. The girl's family filed a complaint and after a police investigation, the boy was arrested. The principal didn't file the report until three days after he was arrested.

Safe-schools advocate Jack Stollsteimer, the state-appointed official who monitors safety in the district, blasted Skalski for the reporting delay and the district for not moving the perpetrator to another school.

"She refused to call police. She refused to report these incidents to the school incident reporting desk as required by the principal's code and school district policy... She dismissed the parents' concerns for their daughter," Stollsteimer told Vernon Odom.

Stollsteimer added that, after he was arrested, the boy threatened the girl. He accused Skalski of not trying to protect Dawson from the boy.

Dawson left school at least once because she is afraid the boy will attack her again.

TT - Stollsteimer, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney, was appointed to the position of safe school advocate for the Philadelphia School District in May 2006.

The safe school advocate is responsible for assuring that the school district complies with laws regarding the reporting of, and response to, incidents of violence on school property. His responsibilities are to: serve as a liaison between the parents or guardians of student victims of school-based crimes, local law enforcement and the schools; increase public awareness of school safety issues; and, establish protocols for dealing with juvenile courts and law enforcement agencies as they interact with the school district.

The safe school advocate, created in 2001, is the only position of its kind in Pennsylvania. In March 2007, the school district, in partnership with Stollsteimer, announced a teacher safety hotline, which will allow teachers and school personnel to directly report to the independent Safe Schools Advocate incidents involving assaults, attempts to assault or violent threats to teachers or any school personnel.

Also see the Education Law Center publication, "WHERE TO GO FOR HELP WHEN YOUR CHILD IS BEING HARASSED AT A PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC SCHOOL"