The principal of Tauranga high school says he took the "strongest" action he could against two boys who allegedly bullied a Year 9 student with Asperger syndrome.
Tauranga Boys' College Principal, Robert Mangan, says he suspended the students after details emerged that a boy had been shot by a plastic BB gun in June this year.
Mr Mangan says the school takes bullying "very seriously" and by suspending the boys sent a clear message that their behaviour was "totally unacceptable".
"The school has treated this situation with the utmost seriousness and have a number of measures in place to ensure an incident like this does not happen again" he says.
NZME reports the boy "was sitting on the playing field by the administration block when these boys grabbed him, held him down and shot him in the leg".
And on another occasion a cousin found the boy being roughed up in the toilets.
Mr Mangan says he presented all the evidence to the school's Board of Trustees which ultimately decides whether the students should be expelled from the college.
"As soon as incident notified, we undertook a full disciplinary investigation. Confident we've followed full protocols in our investigations", he says.
The two students were placed on a strict behaviour management plan, "they're on a report card" and haven't reoffended, Mr Mangan says.
The school and police investigated the incident and police say its now a matter for the school.
Mr Mangan says he's disappointed that the family felt the school "hadn't done enough" to help support their boy.
Meanwhile the principal says the victim has "settled back into Tauranga Boys' College".
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