The mother of a boy who was expelled from summer camp for allegedly terrorising a goat is taking legal action against Bnei Akiva, claiming that the charges are false and he was the victim of discrimination.

The 12-year-old boy, who has ADHD, was expelled last week from a Shropshire camp. His mother, Sophie Behar, is seeking a refund for half of the fees.

Sources at the camp said that the goat had been whipped and mistreated in a manner too disturbing to print, though this could not be confirmed.

Explaining that her son had been one of several children blamed, she told the JC: “He ended up being the only child out of five from Manchester who was sent home from camp”.

Claiming her son was an animal lover, she added: “I know he didn’t hurt any animals — he even tried to stop one boy hurting them.”

Behar said that an email from camp leaders offered “no explanation or clarity of who, what, where and how this group of boys, including my son, was said to have terrorised the goat.

“They even arranged for him to be brought home without my permission.” She said she then spent “hours” trying unsuccessfully to get a hold of Bnei Akiva, including on an emergency line that “just kept ringing”.

After requesting that the camp carry out an investigation, Behar received an email from a staff member charged with safeguarding that read: “After speaking to leaders and site staff, it is apparent that [her son] together with other boys harmed the goats.”

However, an on-site caretaker, who looks after the animals, told the JC that he “never saw any children” near the goats, but admitted they had “wrecked the new fencing that I had just spent about two hours each day putting up”.

According to Behar, of the boys accused of being involved, “three others were let off the punishment of being sent home, and one child chose to leave anyway”. She said this “has led to questions of potential disability discrimination”.

She also claimed that leaders had failed to administer her son’s daily medication for his ADHD, which could have affected his behaviour.

“My son was, and still is, so upset and did not understand why he was being sent home,” she said. “He feels really unfairly treated. My only choice is to take legal action after being treated so terribly and dismissively by camp leaders.”

A Bnei Akiva spokesman said: “We will not comment on the welfare or behaviour of any children in our care.”