Westlake Schools to Take 'Appropriate Disciplinary Action' After Assault

Westlake School District sent an email to parents discussing their disciplinary policies and referencing an "unspecified altercation" reports Cleveland.com.

Deandrew Smith has been charged with felonious assault and turned himself in to police last week. Smith assaulted another student in a bathroom which left the student lethargic on the concrete floor with severe head injuries.

The parents of the seriously injured student realeased the following statement:

"While we are devastated by the life-threatening injuries that our son sustained, we now remain focused on his recovery. We send our children to school with the hope that they not only feel safe but they are kept out of harms way. It is our hope that the Westlake city schools not only appropriately address the situation with our son, but re-examine the policy which allowed an adult with a record to have access to our kids. We extend our gratitude to the physicians, nurses and medical staff at MetroHealth medical center, as well as the community at large for their support during this difficult time."

The email detailed privacy laws, which prohibit the school from publicly discussing students or incident details. The email also explained that the school has the unrestricted authority to punish students as they deem necessary when an incident takes place on school property. The purpose of the email was to "address general issues related to the education and safety of our students," Cleveland.com reports. The email also stated that the school has the authority to expel any student who has be found guilty of "certain serious offenses," and assured parents that the school was working with the Westlake police and will keep parents notified of any developments.