A Clay County teen claims she’s the victim of bullying, saying she was tormented by the same person who allegedly attacked a current Middleburg High School student last week.
Haley Napieracz, 17, says the rumors, teasing and threats pushed her to try overdosing.
“I took some medicine just to try to forget about it all, to just drift off and forget about it,” Napieracz tells our partner Action News.
“The same person that did that to her, tried to do that to me,” Napieracz says. She’s now homeschooled and no longer attends Middleburg High School.
Her father, Joseph Napieracz, says he complained to the school early on.
“We made at least three calls before she attempted to overdose, but we didn't seem to get any response out of it other than they'd keep an eye on it,” he tells Action.
From there he says the bullying got worse along with Haley’s depression.
“They blew it off. They treated it like it was nothing.”
School officials tell Action they can’t comment on any investigations involving juveniles. They provided a copy of the school system’s anti-bullying policies and procedures that call for intense investigations into any bullying complaint. It says principals are responsible for following up with the parents of bullying victims with an action plan to protect their children.
Joe Napieracz says that never happened.
“If you’re not going to follow through, what’s the sense in having them?”
The accused attacker and Tierra Hartley have both been suspended from Middleburg High School for ten days. The Clay County School Board will decided later this month if the accused attacker will be expelled as per the principal’s recommendation.
If her suspension ends before the disciplinary hearing takes place, she will be placed in an alternative school for “at risk” students.
The father of 17-year-old Tierra Hartley, pictured, says she was attacked by another student at Middleburg High School and that witnesses told him that student's mother may have gotten involved with the fight
SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Unified School District Board of Education should develop a policy against adult bullying of children, the San Diego County Grand Jury recommended in a report released Thursday.
The policy, which also should cover harassment and intimidation, either physical or emotional, should be included in the district’s administrative procedures and school site safety plans, according to the grand jury.
The grand jury said the SDUSD also should revise procedures so that area superintendents don’t review their own decisions on appeal, and provide timely feedback to those who lodge complaints.
The investigation arose from allegations of bullying by an unidentified district employee. The state Department of Education found in 2011 that complaints by parents were not fully addressed by the SDUSD, and that child abuse had been omitted from district’s safety plans, the report said.
The jurors found that district policies cover student-to-student bullying, but not that sort of behavior directed by adults toward children.
SDUSD spokeswoman Linda Zintz told City News Service the report is being reviewed by legal staff. The district is required to respond to the grand jury by Aug. 14.
ENOUGH WAS ENOUGH: When Étienne Matte was younger he was bullied. After talking to his parents about it, he decided to do something about it.
In my life, I have seen too many injustices. Among those issues, the most debated is bullying. In Canada, one out of every five students are bullied every day. The majority keep their pain inside and some eventually decide to commit suicide.
I’ve had plenty of unwanted experiences with people bullying me, but I’m fortunate to have parents who supported me during that period of time. During those six years, I was hassled because the bullies didn’t like the same music, my weight and my personality. Every time I tried to play with other kids on the playground, they would say things like, “Go away fatso. We don’t want to play with you!’’
Those same things happened in my neighbourhood or when I went to camp. I felt so bad that I figured maybe, I shouldn’t go outside. I decided to tell my parents what was going on because I was so fed up. They told me to put my foot down and challenge them back. Whenever I wanted to play I would tell them, “I want to play with you whether you like it or not!”. After telling them that over and over, they finally started to let me play with them.
Since that happened, I’ve become friends with people who understand who I am and why it doesn’t matter what a person looks like, but by how well they get along with each other. Hopefully, we can all find solutions to end these kinds of problems. I would like to suggest to others who are struggling to fight against bullying, a few ways to prevent or stop it from occurring: One, when this is happening, usually there are others who see it. Most people stay silent and ignore it. Well, they shouldn’t. If you do witness bullying try and stop it or report it to a teacher or another adult. Two, if this is happening to you, don’t be afraid to tell your parents, because they will try to help and guide you through these situations. Don’t forget you can also talk to teachers, relatives and The Kid’s Help Phone.
Now that six years have gone by since I first stood up for myself, I have plenty of confidence wherever I go at school, on a bus, performing or competing. I’ve learned to communicate with whomever I desire. If someone tries to intimidate me, I’ll try and stand up for myself.
Étienne Matte is a grade 9 student at École Secondaire Étienne-Brulé.
CLEVELAND -- Ariel Castro, described by police as a "big bully," was charged Wednesday with four counts of kidnapping and three counts of rape after three women, missing for about a decade, escaped from his house this week.
Castro, 52, the owner of the house at 2207 Seymour Ave. in Cleveland, was charged in connection with the kidnappings that have shocked the city.
His brothers, Pedro, 54, and Onil, 50, who were arrested Monday along with Ariel, were not charged in connection with the disappearances, prosecutor Victor Perez said at an afternoon news conference.
All three are scheduled to appear in court Thursday, Perez said.
Ariel Castro will be arraigned on the seven charges related to the missing women. His brothers face outstanding warrants on misdemeanor charges.
Castro is charged with kidnapping and raping three women, Amanda Berry, 27, Gina DeJesus, about 23, and Michelle Knight, 32. The fourth kidnapping count applies to Amanda Berry’s 6-year-old daughter, who was born in captivity.
Officials will do tests to determine the paternity of the child, Deputy Police Chief Ed Tomba said.
After the news conference, Tomba described Ariel Castro as “the big bully.... This guy, he ran the show ... He acted alone. These guys [the brothers] didn’t have anything to do with it.”
Tomba at the news conference defended the decision to arrest Pedro and Onil Castro and the decision not to press charges.
“We had enough probable cause to bring them into custody,” Tomba said. “We found no facts to link them to the crime.
“There is nothing that leads us to believe they were involved or they had any knowledge of this, and that comes from statements of our victims, and their statements and their brother’s [Ariel’s] statements. Ariel kept everybody at a distance.”
Officials also said they had removed 200 items of evidence from the Seymour Avenue house. But the charges are mainly based on statements from the women and from Ariel Castro, who waived his rights to stay silent and talked to investigators.
“He did speak with us and provided us … with a detailed statement,” Tomba told reporters.
Asked about possible links to other missing-person cases, Tomba said: “As of right now we don’t anticipate any other victims where he is the suspect.” One such case involves Ashley Summers, who disappeared in 2007 when she was 14 years old.
Berry and DeJesus returned to their families Wednesday. Their relatives asked for privacy to allow the women to heal.
DeJesus was 14 when she disappeared 2004. Berry was just shy of her 17th birthday when she vanished in 2003. Knight, who was reportedly receiving medical care in a hospital, was 20 when she disappeared in 2002.
All were held in harsh conditions in the Seymour Avenue house, officials said, until Berry managed to break through a screen door on Monday and with the help of neighbors called police.
(CLEVELAND) — The woman’s voice was frantic and breathless, and she was choking back tears. “Help me. I’m Amanda Berry,” she told a 911 dispatcher. “I’ve been kidnapped and I’ve been missing for 10 years and I’m, I’m here, I’m free now.”
Those words led police to a house near downtown Cleveland where Berry and two other women who vanished about a decade ago were found Monday, exhilarating law enforcement authorities, family members and friends who had longed to see them again.
Police Chief Michael McGrath said Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight had apparently been held captive in the house since their teens or early 20s.
Authorities later arrested three brothers, ages 50 to 54. One of them, former school bus driver Ariel Castro, owned the home, situated in a neighborhood dotted with boarded-up homes. No immediate charges were brought against them.
A 6-year-old girl also was found in the home, and Deputy Police Chief Ed Tomba said Tuesday that the child is believed to be Berry’s daughter. He declined to say who the father was or where the child was born.
Authorities would not say whether the women were restrained inside the house or if any of them had been sexually assaulted. Police said they were trying to be delicate in their questioning of the women, given the trauma they endured.
Investigators also said Tuesday that they had no record of any tips or calls about criminal activity at the house in the years after the victims vanished, but that they were still checking their records.
However, two neighbors said they were alarmed enough by what they saw at the house to call police on two occasions.
Elsie Cintron, who lives three houses away, said her daughter once saw a naked woman crawling on her hands and knees in the backyard several years ago and called police. “But they didn’t take it seriously,” she said.
Another neighbor, Israel Lugo, said he heard pounding on some of the doors of Castro’s house, which had plastic bags on the windows, in November 2011. Lugo said officers knocked on the front door, but no one answered. “They walked to side of the house and then left,” he said.
Neighbors also said they would see Castro sometimes walking a little girl to a neighborhood playground. And Cintron said she once saw a little girl looking out of the attic window of the house.
The three women appeared to be in good health and were taken to a hospital to be evaluated and reunited with relatives. A photo released by Berry’s family showed her smiling with an arm around her sister. All three were released from Metro Health Medical Center on Tuesday morning. Police said they were taken to an undisclosed location in the suburbs.
A sign outside the home of DeJesus’ parents read “Welcome Home Gina.”
Her aunt Sandra Ruiz told reporters that she was able to see all three. She asked that the family be given space.
“Those girls, those women are so strong,” she said. “What we’ve done in 10 years is nothing compared to what those women have done in 10 years to survive.”
Investigators celebrated the news almost as much as the families.
“For Amanda’s family, for Gina’s family, for Michelle’s family, prayers have finally been answered. The nightmare is over,” said Stephen Anthony, head of the FBI office in Cleveland. “These three young ladies have provided us with the ultimate definition of survival and perseverance. The healing can now begin.”
He added: “Words can’t describe the emotions being felt by all. Yes, law enforcement professionals do cry.”
The disappearances of Berry and DeJesus never left the minds of police. Investigators twice dug up backyards looking for Berry and continued to receive tips about the two every few months, even in recent years. But few leads ever came in about Knight, who was the first of the three to disappear, in August 2002.
The women’s escape and rescue began with a frenzied cry for help.
A neighbor, Charles Ramsey, told WEWS-TV he heard screaming Monday and saw Berry, whom he didn’t recognize, at a door that would open only enough to fit a hand through. He said she was trying desperately to get outside and pleaded for help to reach police.
“I heard screaming,” he said. “I’m eating my McDonald’s. I come outside. I see this girl going nuts trying to get out of a house.”
Neighbor Anna Tejeda was sitting on her porch with friends when they heard someone across the street kicking a door and yelling. Tejeda said one of her friends went over and told Berry how to kick the screen out of the bottom of the door, which allowed her to crawl out.
Tejeda said Berry, dressed in pajamas and old sandals, was nervous and crying.
At first Tejeda said she didn’t want to believe who the young woman was. “You’re not Amanda Berry,” she insisted. “Amanda Berry is dead.”
But when Berry told her she had been kidnapped and held captive, Tejeda said, she gave the young woman a telephone to call police, who arrived within minutes and then took the other women from the house.
In her 911 call Monday, Berry declared: “I’m Amanda Berry. I’ve been on the news for the last 10 years.”
Police said Knight disappeared in 2002 at age 20 and is 32 now. Berry, now 27, disappeared at age 16 on April 21, 2003, when she called her sister to say she was getting a ride home from her job at a Burger King. About a year later, DeJesus vanished at age 14 on her way home from school.
They were found just a few miles from where they disappeared.
Police identified the three suspects as Ariel Castro, 52; Pedro Castro, 54; and Onil Castro, 50.
Attempts to reach Ariel Castro in jail were unsuccessful. There was no public phone listing for the home, which was being searched by dozens of police officers and sheriff’s deputies.
Police did go to the house twice in the past 15 years, officials said.
In 2000, before the women vanished, Ariel Castro reported a fight in the street, but no arrests were made, Public Safety Director Martin Flask said.
In 2004, officers went to the home after child welfare officials alerted them that Ariel Castro, a school bus driver, had apparently left a child unattended on a bus, Flask said. No one answered the door, according to Flask. At some point in the investigation, police talked to Castro and determined there was no criminal intent, he said.
The women’s loved ones said they hadn’t given up hope of seeing them again.
Berry’s cousin Tasheena Mitchell told The Plain Dealer newspaper: “I’m going to hold her, and I’m going to squeeze her and I probably won’t let her go.”
Berry’s mother, Louwana Miller, who had been hospitalized for months with pancreatitis and other ailments, died in 2006. She had spent the previous three years looking for her daughter, whose disappearance took a toll as her health steadily deteriorated, family and friends said.
___
Kantele Franko in Columbus contributed to this report.
Ricky Gervais and Katie Price are just two of the celebrities who have openly backed Kevin's campaign to make bullying those suffering with learning disabilities illegal
She said: 'I support Kevin’s campaign for anti-autism bullying. So many people with autism get bullied.
'I do not want my son Harvey to grow up and be bullied and will not stand for it. Kevin is 38 and it’s disgraceful that ignorant and narrow minded people are bullying him and others.
'Kevin wants children and adults with learning difficulties to be better protected from bullying.'
Current law means that if a mentally disabled person reports bullying or harassment, police log it as a 'hate crime' but are not obliged to follow-up the complaint - unless violence is threatened.
They are also powerless to act against people who troll from outside the UK.
Kevin wants police to be able to prosecute the perpetrators for these hate crimes, even if they do not physically hurt the person.
Melanie Sykes and ex-TOWIE star Lydia Bright are also supporting Kevin's plight. Lydia said: 'A law needs to be put in place to stop these criminals'
‘People who are autistic like me take things far more literally and become anxious much more easily than most,’ he said.
‘Bullying behaviour such as taunting people in the street or sending offensive emails are distressing for everyone but it can affect those with learning disabilities far more.’
Kevin, a radio presenter from Stoke-on-Trent, is autistic and wants people with special needs to be better protected from bullies
He has received backing for his campaign from numerous celebrities including Melanie Sykes, Luke Goss, Michael Barrymore and former TOWIE star Lydia Bright.
Alongside the celebrity support, Simon Sugar, Sir Alan Sugar's son, is helping Kevin organise the campaign.
Kevin, from Stoke-on-Trent, has been the victim of bullying since he was a child and continues to be cyber-bullied. Just 14 months ago he received a death threat via email.
Because the troll emailed him from abroad, police were unable to follow up the case, saying they would only be able to take action if Kevin was actually hurt.
Kevin was so frightened he did not leave his house for three months.
After Kevin has managed to tighten laws in the UK, he wants to drive change in international law, making death threats from abroad a punishable offence.
He has set up an online petition and if he gets 100,000 signatures, MPs will debate the possibility of amending existing British law in parliament.
MP James Brokenshire is the Minister for Security at the Home office. Kevin has been in touch with him to call an urgent meeting about his campaign.
Melanie Sykes has added her weight to the campaign and said: 'I support Kevin’s anti-bullying autism campaign.
'The UK laws must change to protect autistic people. It’s more than a hate crime and people who bully need to be prosecuted.
POWERLESS AGAINST THE BULLIES
Last month mother Liz Crowther, from Coventry, made headlines after she contacted the police when Facebook trolls circulated pictures of her daughter Heidi.
The images had been stolen from the Coventry and Rugby Down’s Syndrome Support group website, which Mrs Crowther ran for five years until 2009.
Heidi has Down's Syndrome and she found the offensive tweets deeply distressing.
Despite repeatedly reporting the trolls, the couple said Facebook made no direct contact with them.
Mrs Crowther contacted the police but she was told that it was not a matter for officers.
'We need to protect people on the spectrum. My eight year old son Valentino is on the spectrum, so this campaign holds a very poignant place in my heart. Please join the fight to create laws against bullying.'
TOWIE's Lydia bright also said: 'I have never got my head around bullying. Why one individual would want to create insecurities, suffering and pain to another person.
'Bullying somebody who suffers from autism is even more a mystery to me. Autistic people already face many hurdles in life without the added stress of bullying. A law needs to be put in place to stop these criminals.’
In 2007, Fiona Pilkington killed herself and her 18-year-old daughter Francecca Hardwick after years of bullying.
The pair, who were repeatedly targeted by gangs of youths, were found in a layby a couple of miles from their home in Barwell, Leicestershire.
An inquest into their deaths two years later heard police were contacted 33 times in 10 years about anti-social behaviour - but the family only received eight visits from officers.
A jury returned verdicts of suicide and unlawful killing, and said the response of Leicestershire Police and two local councils had contributed to what happened.
The papers stated: 'Fiona Pilkington was driven to take this tragic action by the stress and anxiety she was suffering as a result of on-going anti-social behaviour, harassment, victimisation and bullying.'
Kevin says legal changes concerning the treatment of goths and punks in Manchester fill him with hope.
Fiona Pilkington (left) was driven to kill herself and her 18-year-old daughter Francecca Hardwick (right) after police did not take her complaints about bullying seriously
Earlier this year Manchester police recognized the bullying of goths and punks as hate crimes.
The move came after goth student Sophie Lancaster, 20, was killed after she and her boyfriend were brutally attacked in a park in 2007.
Kevin Healey has been campaigning for better services and support for people with an Autistic spectrum Condition for over a decade.
His campaign has received high accolades leading to Kevin receiving various awards including Charity Champion of the year 2007 and Stoke on Trent Citizen of the year 2006.
He has also won the Queens award for his charity Staffordshire Adult Autistic Society and has been appointed Ambassador for the national Autistic Society.
Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose broke down in tears Tuesday at a press conference to announce a new anti-bullying program.
The online resource is to give both kids and adults access to tools to help them fight against cyberbullying.
Ambrose became emotional as she addressed the crowd at Lisgar Collegiate Institute.
"Tomorrow is the National Day to End Bullying," she said. "This project is going to bring education and awareness online. It will help teens, parents and educators to be able to deal with these kinds of negative relationships."
Respect Group and the Canadian Red Cross also participated in the project.
In early April, the suicide of Rehtaeh Parsons in Nova Scotia garnered national attention, prompting more calls for concrete action in the fight against bullying.
Rehtaeh's family says she was bullied for months after four boys sexually assaulted her and a photo of the alleged attack was circulated.
Ambrose was joined by former NHLer Sheldon Kennedy of Respect Group Inc. and Kanata Coun. Allan Hubley.
Hubley's son Jamie, who was openly gay, killed himself at age 15 in 2011 after years of abuse from bullies.
NORTH BAY – Members from a number of school boards and community organizations had the tables turned on them last week when students from two North Bay high schools became the teachers on the subject of anti-bullying and self respect.
Student leaders from École publique Odyssée and Widdifield Secondary School outlined their anti-bullying initiatives to a boardroom filled with education, law enforcement and social services professionals on April 24. The anti-bullying summit, held at North Bay City Hall was the first of it’s kind in Ontario.
“This is not about the students and their efforts,” said summit co-chair Sylvie Vannier, “this summit is geared to community leaders and the need to address bullying in our community; like in the workplace or on the bus system.”
But while the adults spent the morning bringing their perspectives on bullying to the summit table, it was the teens who cut to the chase outlining programs they have already implemented in their schools bringing people together “to build stronger, open communities.”
The students spoke of self-esteem issues and the need for each person to realize what is causing them to be a bully.
Cassidy Villeneuve from Odyssée told the summit participants that “adults can help, but it’s really up to us to make the changes. We have to take the first steps against bullying.”
She said bullying is a learned behaviour. “Lots of these people have troubles at home, or are in unhealthy relationships,” she said.
In speaking of the student anti-bullying initiatives, the teens admitted that they had had to start the peer groups with no manual for success available to follow.
“It all starts with kids finding the courage to come forward and speak out,” Villeneuve said.
Shawne Chorney, vice president of Canadore College, credits the students for taking a proactive approach and said there are many lessons to be learned from their actions.
“We all need to be breaking down barriers and getting people talking,” he said. “Bullying doesn’t go away as people get older and bullies often can’t distinguish advocacy and bullying. We’re here to encourage effective change.”
Dan Joletter, general manager of Student Transportation Services says he feels “there needs to be a general awareness of bullying in our society if we are going to deal with it, and we can’t deal with it in isolation. That’s why bringing a group like this together is so important. Bullying can happen anywhere, in the workplace, or at home and we need to know how to address it.”
Led by facilitator Jack Jones, the summit participants planned to create a safer community using the students’ presentations for the basis of much of their discussion.
“The importance of this summit and the timeliness cannot be understated,” said Mayor Al McDonald. “I am very conscious of the grave impact bullying has had on our families, schools and communities. We need to sustain this opportunity and challenge this disturbing phenomenon head-on.”
“Bringing people together to discuss this is so important. We need to work together instead of having different sectors of the community come up with a multitude of separate initiatives,” said Chantal Larocque of the Anishinabek Police Service.
Larocque said she had been a victim of bullying. “I think we need to address self confidence as a key component for both the bully and the victim and talk about self respect and respect for others. That’s something that seems to be missing today. Making partnerships and connecting with other groups is a great first step.”
Regardless of how old you are, “bullying hurts when it’s happening, but it’s how we deal with it out of that moment that we need to be talking about. That’s key,” she said.
“Bullying is more than the latest buzz word,” said Vanier. “It is a deliberate and repeated behaviour, which is intended to harm others. It is important to have the conversation and not shy away from the reality.
“I’m proud to see that North Bay is leading the way in the province in hosting this anti-bullying summit and appreciative that many of our city leaders are participating in the discussion.”
I had been teaching for a few years in tough inner-city primary schools. Though still a class teacher, I had won respect, credibility and authority; that was a hard-earned commodity in such a context I can tell you.
My colleagues began to ask me for advice and support; especially on behaviour management issues. I was asked to demonstrate effective teaching methods to colleagues from other schools. I even had my classroom featured on schools' television and radio programmes as an example of best practice. As a young, energetic and ambitious teacher, I felt on top of my game.
Then, one year at the headteacher's request, I took over a 'very challenging class', I think that's the appropriate euphemism, of tough, street-wise and hard-boiled 10 and 11 year-olds. In this class there was a group of boys that had made life very difficult for their previous teachers. While I was known to be empathetic, I took a no-nonsense approach to teaching and that was to put it mildly. I was proud of my hard-earned esteem for being strict.
Though this was a tough and tenacious class, make no mistake, I looked forward to the challenge of 'taming' them, getting them to learn something and the opportunity to further enhance my reputation. There was also the compensation that the class included a very nice group of intelligent, able and amenable girls.
Within about five or six weeks, through a mixture of my tried and tested carrot and stick techniques acquired over the years, I thought I was getting on top of the situation. Colleagues and parents began to pay me compliments.
One day I was feeling particularly self-satisfied about my natural talents as a charismatic teacher, when one of the more troubled boys in the class, a notorious bully, well-known for a short fuse and a loutish demeanour, was involved yet again in what I interpreted was his habitually thuggish behaviour towards one of the nicer girls in the class.
I bore down on him in my well-rehearsed, iron-hard domineering way that had served me effectively with boys like him many times before. I towered over him, imposing my presence and physicality to emphasise his vulnerability. I fixed his gaze with an icy stare then embarked on a chastening tirade that began slowly with a tone of calculated menace and gradually rose to a crescendo of unfettered, ominous and voluble threat.
I watched as he visibly quailed and cowered, then he began to cry. To be honest I looked down at him and thought: "Good. That's given you a taste of your own medicine. It might even teach you a lesson."
During the lunch break later that day, I was called to the headteacher's office. I had no idea why; so completely unconcerned I finished my lunch and sauntered in that direction thinking it was for some routine matter.
I arrived to find the boy again in tears, standing in the middle of the office refusing to sit down. The headteacher explained he had run out of school and gone home but his parents were at work and one of the teaching assistants had found him and persuaded him to return to school. She asked the lad: "Why did you run out of school?" After a moment of composing himself, he looked up and pointed directly at me. "It's him," he shouted, "It's his fault." Then accusingly he said: "He never tells the girls off. It's only ever the boys." Then he dissolved in tears again.
He looked up straight at me, and said: "You. You're just a bully."
It was the most shocking moment I was ever to experience as a teacher and looking back, I think I learned more about myself in relation to children from that single incident than any other that I can think of more than 20 years of teaching.
I realised I had been a role model in more ways than I imagined.
My son, Jacob, came running into the house crying. He was saying something about the neighbor boy hitting him. I shouldn’t have, but I instinctively asked “Did you hit him back?”—just like my old man. Saying that instantly reminded me of how much pain and terror my bullies caused me. I felt an old, horrible dread.
I had three bullies in three different cities. The first one was Blake in the little town of Monahans, Texas. Blake was inches taller than all of us other boys. He was that kid who was the center of attention during recess. I don’t remember a lot of the bullying I got from Blake. Concussions tend to do that to your memory.
It was during recess one day, and I was climbing the ladder to lean out and grab the first rung of the monkey bars. Suddenly, I felt like I was floating and everything was in slow motion. I bounced on the ground, and everything faded to black. I woke up with a teacher slapping me in the face, and I immediately began puking. They got me to the principal’s office, where I puked. They called my mother who got me into her car, where I puked.
My parents drove me 40 miles to Odessa, where I was diagnosed with a major concussion. Several years later, an old school mate confirmed that right as I leaned out to grab that first monkey bar, Blake did indeed push my legs out from underneath me, causing my head to go back and slam into the metal ladder of the playground equipment.
As soon as that terror ended, the next one began when my dad announced in the middle of the school year that he had been transferred with Frito-Lay. We would be moving from our little oil boom town of 6,000 people to Houston, where I was to ride a bus to school and back.
That very first day, as the new kid on the bus headed to Stovall Middle School, I met “Butch.” I can’t remember his real name, but all these years later he reminds me of Butch the bully of the Our Gang short films. Butch introduced himself by jamming a giant wad of his pink bubble gum into my hair. He then took to extorting my lunch money from me every single day. No matter where I hid, he seemed to find me, with his hand out wanting my 60 cents.
After several weeks of this, I went to my dad, who became furious that his hard-earned money was ending up in some other kid’s pocket. He told me I had better not give up another dime or I would get a whipping. When I asked him what I should do, he offered, “Well, pick ya up a two-by-four, and next time he comes near ya hit him over the goddamned head!” Dad must have grown up around an abundance of discarded lumber, as he suggested this on more than one occasion.
Like clockwork, Butch was there the next day with his hand out. Trembling, I told him he wasn’t getting my money ever again. Butch was in my art class that afternoon. While everyone was working on their projects, he glared at me and pounded his fist over and over into his hand. Suddenly, the sound of kids quietly cutting paper was interrupted by a loud wailing as I burst into tears. My small town hayseed brain could no longer process the fear, and I spontaneously erupted. Every single eye was on me.
Whatever the teacher did to allay my fears didn’t work, so I came to the conclusion that I could no longer ride the bus. I decided to walk home 5 miles via the Interstate 45 access road, which was equally terrifying. I was so scared that somewhere along the route I wet my pants, and my jeans began to chafe my legs. This time, my mother had had enough, and she intervened with both the school and my dad. Butch just ignored me, and my dad never said another word about it.
We moved to Tyler a year later. Being skinny as a rail, I was teased and called names, but it seemed the days of being seriously bullied were behind me. I started using my sense of humor as a weapon. The popular kids accepted me as the “wild and crazy guy” and voted me class clown my senior year.
One afternoon as I was leaving government class, I heard someone shout out my last name. I turned to see a bulky sophomore named Stafford leaning against a tree. “Hey man, I hear you’ve been making my girlfriend laugh. Why are you doing that?” he asked. “Because you can’t?” was my instant reply. Stafford had weird eyes, and my comeback made them roll.
“I’m gonna kick your ass if you don’t stop making my girlfriend laugh,” he replied. Even at 17 years old I was astonished at the stupidity of that statement. But thanks to Blake and Butch, I was scared to death. I assured Stafford that I would try and not be humorous when interacting with his girlfriend. But he just kept showing up two or three times a week. I had a friend who was an offensive lineman on the football team and even though it was humiliating being a senior with a sophomore bully, I asked him for a favor. I never saw Stafford again.
My son was fine. The neighborhood boy who hit him was actually his friend across the street, who is a year younger, two inches shorter and harmless. But this was the first time I had felt that fear in years and it was for my boy, because I protect him all the time. I told him that if anyone ever picks on him that he should come to me and talk about it. I’m not sure what I’ll tell him to do when the time comes, but I can assure you it won’t involve searching for a handy two-by-four.
