PARIS – Hebron Academy has admitted that one of its students was injured in an assault last year, but denies negligence or intimidation on the part of school officials.

Michael Saucier, the attorney for the academy and for former faculty member Robert Gagnon, filed an answer Wednesday to charges brought by Gregory Colarusso, a former student, and his father, Anthony.

The same suit also names Oleksandr Romanenko, a former student and Ukrainian national now attending college in New York. The Colarussos’ attorneys are seeking a default judgment against Romanenko, saying that he has failed to defend himself in the suit.

Incident last April

The suit was filed in February in response to an incident last April in which Romanenko punched Gregory in the face after learning that Gregory had kissed a girl who Romanenko had recently broken up with, documents state. One of Gregory’s teeth was knocked out.

According to the suit, a dormitory parent looked for someone to transport Gregory to the hospital after the assault but failed to contact medical personnel or get him to the hospital in a timely manner.

Admits assault took place

The academy admits that the assault took place, and later states in its response that Romanenko was banned from school grounds for the remainder of the school year. It denies that the school was negligent in its response to the incident.

The Colarussos also state that Head of School John King sent Romanenko to Gregory’s room the day after the assault to talk about the incident, where Romanenko ordered Gregory not to do anything that would get him expelled.

Hockey coach accused

The suit also accuses Robert Gagnon, a former admissions officer and hockey coach at the academy, of pressuring Gregory to help keep Romanenko in school. The suit charges, and Saucier agrees, that Romanenko was one of the academy’s best hockey players.

Saucier denies this version of events, saying that both Romanenko and Gagnon went to Gregory’s room after the incident “for purposes of offering an apology to Gregory Colarusso.” Saucier states that both men left immediately after Romanenko apologized.

The Colarussos state that Gregory began receiving harassing text messages after Romanenko was suspended, and that the academy failed to take action after it was reported to King. Saucier states that Anthony reported to King that Gregory had “received contact from students, and that Mr. King was told that some of which was supportive and some of which was not,” but denies that the school failed to take action in investigating any harassment.

Charges

The suit charges Romanenko with assault, trespass and intentional infliction of emotional distress; Gagnon with intentional infliction of emotional distress; and Hebron Academy with negligent infliction of emotional distress, negligence in obtaining emergency medical care, negligence in its handling of complaints of harassment, and breach of contract.

Saucier’s response includes nine points, including allegations that the Colarussos’ negligence is equal to or greater than that of the defendants, and that the damages claimed “were solely caused by the negligence of a third party over which school defendants have no control.”