A Prendergast School student cried as she told of how a “squad” of elementary school girls would torment her and her friends every day.
“I had to switch classes because I couldn’t bear it,” she said.
Another, from Mead School, buried his face in his hands while telling a story of how one of his friends would often return from run-ins with another student with bruises on his legs.
A father of another student spoke of his frustration at getting school officials to discipline bullies after he reached out to them.
“What these girls are saying is that they’re bullied every day for no reason,” the man said.
And one parent left the meeting after becoming emotional while talking about the effects of bullying, saying that even after raising concerns, students still taunt her child..
Click play to hear the mother in her own voice.
Others echoed those sentiments during the public session of a Board of Education meeting last Wednesday, saying simply that the schools have to do more to address bullying.
Editor’s note: Although the names were presumably recorded in the public record since it was a public meeting, The Valley Indy chose not to publish the names of the students or parents who spoke due to the sensitivity of the subject matter and the fact the students are underage.
The bullying conversation was touched off when a parent asked school officials to do more to address online bullying, referring to the city’s public schools being closed for a day last week after a student made an anonymous threat of violence on the “After School” smartphone app.
Last week police charged a 19-year-old high school student with making the threat, which cops said may have been prompted by bullying.
Superintendent Carol Merlone told the woman the school district offered a program in the beginning of the school year geared toward educating parents about the Internet — but few showed.
“We don’t have too many people turning up for this,” Merlone said.
“Maybe now with what happened everyone’s a little bit more aware,” the parent responded.
Five days after the school board meeting, school officials scheduled an anti-bullying seminar that was scheduled for Wednesday.
Superintendent Responds
And that’s not all they’re doing since the emotional meeting, school officials said.
Merlone said she met with students, teachers, and administrators at Prendergast School, where most of the complaints raised during the school board meeting referenced, as well as Mead School, where one student had raised issues.
School principals and assistant principals followed up with the alleged culprits, Merlone said, and would follow up with her.
Though awareness of bullying as a problem has spread more in recent years through government public information campaigns, the problem persists — nearly 1 of every 4 children from 12 to 18 experience it yearly.
But part of the difficulty in addressing the problem — what one parent might call bullying and raise as an issue with a teacher, another may just say “sticks and stones” and move on.
Merlone said that when speaking with one student Thursday, she asked whether the girl had brought alleged bullying up with her parents.
“She said ‘My mom said don’t be mean back, ignore them, or walk away,’” Merlone recalled. “Some parents give that advice. Some parents get more upset about it.”
No student should have to feel bullied at school, of course, the superintendent said.
And while gray areas can exist when it comes to childish teasing, some cases are clearer than others.
“If it’s the same children and (the behavior) is repeated and repeated, we have an issue and we have to address it,” Merlone said.
She said in addition to Wednesday night’s forum, other events will be planned for when students return to school this fall.
And she thanked Ansonia police for helping to coordinate those activities, and said cops play an active role in combating bullying whenever called upon to do so.
“We’re going to look at each and every case and deal with it,” Merlone said.
