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Waverly community leaders stepping up after boy hit by teacher

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Community leaders stepping up after they find out a student was hit in the mid section by a Waverly Middle School teacher.

The attack happened Friday, after students said the 11-year-old was crying in class. One student told ABC2 News Taurean Branch is one of the most trusted teachers at Waverly.

"The parents was not notified, the teachers are not notified, the community association was not notified, the fact that we learned it through the news," Waverly Improvement Association Co-President TC Greene said.

Wednesday morning Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke, Delegate Mary Washington, and PTO President Joseph Kane were a few of the leaders who wanted answers about the incident.

READ RELATED: Baltimore teacher arrested for striking 11-year-old student

"The school should've been shut down, the kids, they should've brought someone in to teach the kids about what to do if this happened to them," Greene said.

Those same leaders are using the spotlight to their advantage.

"it's sad something like this had to happen for the attention but we are confident now that we have the ears of North Avenue," Kane said.

Broadcasting a bigger message, laying out what needs to be done to move the community forward.
 
"You have to look and see windows are constantly being broken in because we don't have the visual of police here...We have begged the city for a youth center," Greene said.
 
They're hoping to transform the empty old school across the street into a community center, and bring in a community leader and counselors at Waverly.
 
That all costs money, during a time the Baltimore Public School System is facing a multi-million dollar budget gap.
 
They have one other goal: to keep a steady principal at Waverly. Students and teachers met a new principal each school year over the past three years.
 
Now everyone waits to see if the administration hears their message.