Lynn suspects file appeals

LYNN – Parents of three of the four local teenagers barred from starting a new school year in public school after being charged with severely beating a Guatemalan man have appealed their suspensions to Superintendent Catherine Latham.The four boys, ranging in age from 11 to 13, were indefinitely suspended by Breed, Marshall and Pickering middle school principals who cited a state law allowing principals to suspend students charged with felonies.One of the boys attends Breed, another attends Pickering and two attend Marshall.Latham said at least one of the written appeal requests was made by an attorney representing one of the teenagers. The suspension went into effect Wednesday, the first day of school, and parents have five days to request appeal hearings.”There’s a chance I could schedule an appeal before the end of five days,” Latham said.The four, along with another teen slated to attend St. Mary’s and a 14-year-old, were charged by police with the severe beating of Damian Merida as he slept in undergrowth bordering the commuter rail tracks and Robert McManus Field.The beating occurred July 22 and the teens were arrested and appeared in Juvenile Court the following week. The boys pleaded not delinquent to charges of armed assault to murder, assault to maim, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and civil rights order violations resulting in injury.Merida was hospitalized with serious head trauma and other extensive injuries for nearly a month in Massachusetts General Hospital before being moved to Tewksbury State Hospital for rehabilitation treatment.A statement released by police after the arrests stated the boys targeted Merida for the beating because of his ethnicity. They also said they were investigating an assault on another Guatemalan and the possibility that the attack was not the first perpetrated by these youths.The 14-year-old remains in state Youth Services custody while the middle school age boys were released from state custody and ordered to wear electronic monitoring bracelets.In a statement released Tuesday with Anti-Defamation League Director Derrek Shulman, Latino Professional Network President Diego Portillo said, “Education, respect and understanding” is needed to “fight racism and hate crimes.”Incidents like this are sad reminders that hate continues to exist and spread to our youth,” Portillo said.Shulman praised Lynn police and District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett for their handling of the beating case.”This brutal beating is yet another example of how immigrants continue to be singled out for violent attacks simply because of where they are from,” he said.After hearing parents’ appeals, Latham has the choice under state law to overturn or alter the decision of the principal, including recommending an alternate educational program for the student.She has five days from the date of the appeal hearing to announce her decision.