Bullying prompts concerned mom to pull her son out of middle school
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JUNCTION CITY, Ore. - Looking at signs posted on the walls of Oaklea Middle School in Junction City, it appears the school takes bullying very seriously, but one mom disagrees.
She pulled her son, Caleb, out of the school last week after she said two bullies beat him up in a field outside the high school.
"The next thing he knew he was jumped on and being kicked and he curled up in a ball," said Tamra Tucker.
A police report of the incident also said one of the alleged attackers threw a rock at the back of Caleb's neck.
Clutching his class picture, Tucker said her son is too scared to go on camera because he's afraid the bullies will track him down.
Tucker doesn't think the school is doing enough to stop the harassment. She said the kids who beat her son up have not been suspended or disciplined.
Principal Tom Endersby can't comment on this specific case because of federal privacy laws.
KVAL News asked him at what point schools decide to suspend or expel a student for bullying.
"If it's verbal harassment, one of the things you have to do is figure out what really happened and who said what to whom and where," said Endersby. "The story tends to change after a while."
KVAL News also asked Endersby what happens when a parent feels their kid is not safe at school because the level of bullying is at a point where the student feels threatened.
"We certainly hope we have already talked to the student by that time so we see what's happening here," said Endersby.
For now, Tamra Tucker said she's looking into home schooling Caleb or even leaving town.
The case has been passed onto the District Attorney's office at the Serbu Youth Center. KVAL News left messages with the juvenile DA to see if the students face any charges. We have not heard back.
Endersby said he believes that daily communication with students is the best way to know what's going on at the school and to prevent bullying. He said every student has some sort of adult to look up to at the school, whether it be a secretary or teacher or janitor.
