Students sent to alternative program after Evanston school bus fight

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Updated: January 25, 2012 4:26PM

A 10-year-old Kingsley Elementary School student has been referred to the city’s Restorative Justice program after a fight on a school bus Tuesday afternoon in which another student was pushed against a window.

The incident occurred on a school bus about 4 p.m. in the area of Foster Street and Brown Avenue, said Evanston Police Cmdr. Jay Parrott.
In the fight, the 10-year-old pushed another boy, also the same age, into the side of the bus against a window, he said.

The injured student was taken to a local hospital, where he was checked and found to have suffered no significant injuries, Parrott said.

No charges were brought against the 10-year-old thought to have done the pushing, Parrott said. Instead, the boy was referred to the department’s Restorative Justice program.

The program brings together the victim, offender, their families and community members, all of whom work toward resolving any differences between the 10-year-olds.

It is intended to divert youth from the judiciary system while getting them to address any harm they may have done.
School officials also were notified of the incident, Parrott said.