I was harassed from grade school through high school. Though “harassed” is far too mild a word. For example: I tried out for the soccer team in high school. After the first practice, when we returned to the locker room, a half dozen kids grabbed me and pinned me down on a bench. Then those kids, and a number of others, all spat on me. I was practically crying. I took a shower, then told the coach what happened. He rolled his eyes, was completely uninterested, and when I was finished said “Go cry to your mommy. Don’t come crying to me.” It was then I learned that no one cared and no one would help me.
Fast forward thirty years. My daughter is in middle school and being harassed, particularly by one kid. When she would walk into gym class, he would yell out “Look at that fucking ugly bitch that just walked in.” All the kids—and the teacher—would laugh. After it happened a few times, I talked to the school administration. They said they would deal with it. Nothing happened. A few weeks later, I wrote to the school board, informing them that I would be filing legal action against them within thirty days for their failure to protect my daughter from being bullied and abused. I told them about my previous attempts to resolve the problem and the school’s failure to take any action. I also informed them that I would be sending out press releases detailing exactly what had happened to my daughter and why I was suing, and noted my background in public relations. I cited similar cases that had happened in the area where the student had been awarded substantial damages (as much as $250,000).
Within two weeks, the student was gone from the school and the teacher “elected” to take early retirement.
Oh, and the “fucking ugly bitch”? Here is a pix of her with her husband:
