NEED TO KNOW

• Conor Dunn is a 13-year-old Jewish and Black student with special needs in the Ardley School District and a member of the middle school football team, according to CBS New York

• His parents told the outlet that classmates allegedly tricked Conor, convincing him to pick up animal feces and lick his hand

• A bullying report was filed in accordance with New York’s Dignity For All Students Act

A 13-year-old autistic boy in New York was allegedly tricked by classmates, who convinced him to pick up animal feces and lick his hand, his parents say.

The incident allegedly occurred during recess on Oct. 27, when Conor Dunn, a Jewish and Black student with special needs in the Ardley School District, was allegedly convinced by an unnamed student to pick up animal feces. According to his parents, another student then told Conor to lick his hand, CBS New York reports.

While Dunn reportedly followed their directions because he thought they wanted to be friends with him, his parents said that a group of students stood up for Dunn the next day. The parents also claimed that one of the alleged bullies was attacked in the locker room before a football game following the incident.

Conor’s mom, Beth Blank-Dunn, told CBS New York that “multiple” people came forward with proof of the alleged bullying, including “screenshots of conversations” in which a racial slur was used to refer to Conor.

“They’ve also been teaching Conor inappropriate hand gestures and the German march with the arms,” Blank-Dunn told the outlet.

The experience led the Dunns to file a report in accordance with anti-bullying provisions in New York’s Dignity For All Students Act.

According to the New York State Education Department’s website, the Dignity For All Students Act “seeks to provide the State’s public elementary and secondary school students with a safe and supportive environment free from discrimination, intimidation, taunting, harassment, and bullying on school property, a school bus and/or at a school function.”

CBS New York reported that about a week after the report was filed, Conor’s school sent a letter to his parents saying that “14 students and three staff members were interviewed” and “they were unable to confirm seeing or hearing anything being said or done by classmates.”

The outlet also reported that a Tuesday night board meeting adjourned before other parents could speak up to make similar bullying claims against the district.

In a statement shared with PEOPLE, Ardsley Superintendent of Schools Matthew J. Block said the district is “committed to ensuring the safety of every student.”

Block said that “whenever behavior that could possibly constitute harassment, intimidation or bullying is reported to a member of our district administrative team, those reports are taken seriously and are investigated without exception.”

While the statement did not directly address the Dunn family’s claims, it said that “Conducting investigations with children of any age can be complicated as there are developmental and social dynamics that come into play.”

“It is our responsibility to be as fair, thoughtful, and thorough as possible,” the statement continued. “It is important for the community to recognize that there are often multiple sides to a story. We do everything we can to get to the facts, but the truth is not always easy to discern.”

Block’s statement added that “the Board of Education appreciates hearing from community members, but it is important to recognize that the meeting format does not allow for productive two-way communication.”

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“Board of Education meetings are usually not the best place to address individual, personal issues,” the statement added. “The Board recognizes community members for public comment, but there are protocols that must be followed at an official public meeting of the Board.”

Read the original article on People