VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A judge this week ruled in favor of a Virginia Beach family in a legal dispute with Saint John the Apostle School regarding the suspension of a student who reported finding a bullet on campus.
Seven months ago, Rachel Wigand's son was preparing to take a test at the school when another student showed him a bullet.
Despite choosing to wait until after the test to alert an administrator, her son was suspended for not reporting the bullet sooner.
"My son had no culpability. He wasn't playing with the bullet," Wigand explained to WTKR News 3's Jay Greene over a Zoom call.
Wigand said son waited until he was safely away from the situation before informing the principal, seeking to maintain anonymity in the process.
Faced with the suspension, Wigand chose to fight the school's decision in court, suing for breach of contract, according to family attorney Timothy Anderson.
"She paid them to educate her child for this many days, and they voluntarily chose not to educate that child for the days that he was suspended," he said.
A judge on Monday ruled against the Diocese of Richmond, which oversees Saint John the Apostle School, saying the school must allow Wigand’s son to return.
The student had been homeschooled while awaiting the court's decision, according to his mother.
The family initially sought $5,000 in damages but agreed to settle for just $80, emphasizing their case was not about the money.
"One of the biggest things is, talk to the students and talk to the parents, and let's come together and find a resolution. And that's all I've wanted from the beginning, and you still deny me that," said Wigand.
The diocese stands by the decision to suspend Wigand's son. Diocesan leaders sent the following statement to News 3.
"At St. John the Apostle School, we are dedicated to maintaining a safe and focused learning environment for our students. While we disagree with the court's decision, we respect the legal process. Our focus continues to be providing enriching and Christ-centered learning experiences for our students, and we are hopeful this conclusion will bring all parties involved an opportunity to move forward."
"We asked them to reconsider, just publicly apologize, say you didn't do anything wrong, and let's make peace. And they won't," Anderons said. "They're just extremely hardened in the position that their decision was correct."
Yet Wigand argues that suspending a child who reported a bullet sends the wrong message.
"It's not what we as a society want, and we want people like I said, to come forward and to feel safe coming forward," she stated.
Wigand said all three of her children will finish the current school year at Saint John the Apostle, but she plans to move them to a new school next year.
