Schools Cannot Ignore Bullying.

Another Texas teen has died in a bullying-related suicide.

And, another Texas school district has disclaimed any knowledge of having a bullying problem.

Corpus Christi police are investigating the suicide of 16-year-old Ted Molina, after family and friends claim years of being bullied led to his death.  Ted's family, friends and Flour Bluff students say the teenager, whose mother is Asian, has complained for years that a group of boys repeatedly harassed him at school, taunting him, using racial epithets and threatening to fight him.

Flour Bluff ISD spokeswoman Lynn Kaylor said Tuesday that the district has investigated all allegations that Ted may have been bullied. She didn't cite how many allegations of bullying that included.

District officials couldn't immediately provide the number of reported bullying incidents this school year.

Kaylor said the district's student code of conduct outlines the policy for how Flour Bluff officials handle reports of bullying, but students first have to report bullying incidents.

"If it's reported, we deal with it," she said. "We take extreme measures. We don't let it go on if it's reported."

Read the full text of this story from the Corpus Christi Caller.

However, in a report by KRIS-TV, Flour Bluff mother Rita McKenzie strongly disagreed with the claims made by Flour Bluff ISD that the district does not have a bullying problem. 

 McKenzie called 6 News after hearing Lynn Kaylor, the public information officer for the district, say that bullying is not a problem.

Rita McKenzie said she could not believe what she heard. "This is a problem that they have. They know about this problem. They ignore it and do nothing to try to fix it," said McKenzie, the parent of a bullied child.

McKenzie had two children in Flour Bluff Junior High and both were being bullied. So, she had to move them to Houston to live with their dad.

Watch McKenzie's interview with KRIS-TV and read the full story from KRIS-TV here.

Texas schools districts cannot continue to ignore bullying and harassment on their campuses. The Anti-Bullying legislation Equality Texas worked to pass in the last legislative session [HB 1942 by Rep. Diane Patrick] becomes effective this coming September. It requires school districts to have policies and procedures in place to ensure that reports of bullying and harassment are documented, investigated, and resolved.

These incidents of bullying and harassment cannot be swept under the rug. They cannot be ignored. The lives of Texas school children are at stake.

Posted by Chuck Smith,
Deputy Executive Director,
Equality Texas

Comments

[Nathan]

I am a student here at FLour Bluff isd and students and parents are really upset with the school administration we are now pushing for everyone that is in the School administration to resign at once we think that we need someone els to run the shool distric who cares about the students safty and not a person who only care's about there foot ball team this is for the superinetendat of the school''Step Down Now''

[bhubaneswar hotel]

Hi,Thanks for the information, really this is a nice Post , I love it. I hope that more and more Blogger will use this feature in the future, because it just makes the internet better I think Some of the best areas of bhubaneswar, all located very close to major fashion labels and boutique spa’s.There are so many little treasures that can be discovered in this area. bhubaneswar hotel

[Dental Assistant]

I can see what you mean. Excellent tips and they have actually opened my own eyes to the likelihood of what you are declaring. You sure do have a lots of feedback on this article!

[Medical billing and coding]

This is a good article. It certainly got me thinking about this issue.

[Andi Smidth]

Bullying exists everywhere: in the home, in the school and even in the corporate world. However, minors should be the ones we should be protecting from it as it's lifelong effects should be avoided.

My heart goes out to the family of Ted. He is too young to go. I'd suggest the family to look into www.deathletters.org. The grieving process is a long and painful one but knowing someone is going through the same thing gets it a little less difficult.