MOE issued a timeline of events to the media. It is reproduced in full:
End-April: The affected student reported student A for using an offensive slur on her and another classmate. As the affected student had also used an offensive slur on student A, the form teacher facilitated a verbal apology between the students involved for using bad language.
Mid-July: The affected student verbally requested her form teacher to change her seat. The teacher decided to monitor the situation after receiving this request, as he observed that the affected student was talking and laughing with students A and B.
Friday, Jul 25: The affected student again requested her form teacher to change her seat, as student A and B’s chatter made it difficult for her to focus during lessons. She also said that the two students had used inappropriate language on her, and that student C had touched her face without consent. As she had admitted to using inappropriate language on students A and B, the three students were guided to apologise to each other and focus on mending their friendship.
Later in the day, the form teacher informed the affected student that he had engaged her parent and would change her seat the following Monday. He would also look into her feedback regarding student C.
Saturday, Jul 26: The affected student’s mother reported to the school that she had received prank calls and death threats.
Monday, Jul 28: The school pulled students A, B and C out from class. Based on the school’s checks, student A had obtained the mobile number from his parent. Students A, B and C had made multiple prank calls to the parent of the affected student, with student C sending audio messages threatening the parent and her family.
The school reprimanded all three students and informed their parents that they would be suspended from school immediately. That same morning, the vice principal met the affected student’s parents to inform them about the actions that had been taken by the school, including a change of seat to separate her from the three students, and future plans to conduct bag checks after they had served their suspension.
The vice principal also spoke to the affected student’s parents on the telephone in the evening to share plans to assign peers to accompany the student in school.
The safety plan was sent via email to the parents on Jul 31. As the affected student’s parents had made a police report on the death threats, the school assured them that the school would review and take additional disciplinary actions, which may include caning, after police have looked into the matter.
Wednesday, Jul 30: The affected student informed the form teacher that a classmate had sprayed water on her. Investigations conducted by the teacher established that this was after the affected student had used hurtful words on the classmate, including a racial slur to a classmate of another race, and telling others not to befriend the classmate.
The classmate then sprayed water in retaliation. Both were counselled for their actions. The classmate’s parent was informed of the incident, and the school had planned to share this with the affected student’s parents at a face-to-face meeting.
Thursday, Aug 7: School was informed of a bruise on the affected student. The school established that student C had swung his bag into the affected student during school dismissal.
CCTV footage showed that the teacher present was managing another group of students and did not witness the incident, and no student had approached the teacher to alert him of the incident. Following investigations, the school engaged student C’s parents. Student C was subsequently caned on Aug 12.
Thursday, Aug 14: School arranged to meet the affected student’s parents on Aug 18 to update them on the actions taken and steps to support the student’s return to school.
Friday, Aug 15 to Saturday, Aug 16: Parents made her allegations on social media.
