Chronic Bullying, Is It A Police Issue, Or Should Wingham Police Continue To Ignore It?

Dear Premier Wynne and Education Minister Liz Sandals,

I am writing this email as last ditch effort to help my child. REDACTED who is now 10 years old, is an Individualized Education Program (â€œIEPâ€)student at Maitland River Elementary School in Wingham, Ontario. I understand that the government has put in place the Safe Schools Act in order to protect children and to stop them from being harmed and bullied. REDACTED has been beaten kicked, called a retard and has been repeatedly picked on, while the school officials have done little to nothing to stop the abuse.

This issue became more serious when REDACTED was hospitalized last June with a concussion that resulted from a beating at the hands of another student. The attack took place at the school and school officials simply sent her home on the bus and did not even notify me. When she got off the bus that day she was very unstable. I then took her to the hospital where we found out that she was beaten and had her head smashed into a fence then she was thrown to the ground and repeatedly jumped on.

Since last year REDACTED, who has been diagnosed with an acquired brain injury (an â€œABIâ€) , PTSD, and a host of issues stemming from her problems, has been jumped on, beaten so bad that she had to go to the hospital; and had her ribs cracked when she was kicked like a useless piece of trash. These repeated assaults have scarred her for life.

Meanwhile, the bullying has only continued. On Wednesday March 19, 2014 she was assaulted and came home with black eyes. I was not even notified that she was injured. What I find most disturbing is that she has an EA who is supposed to be with her at all times; so I honestly wonder how could this have happen.

Then when I informed the school about this incident, the school officials, once again, did nothing. I involved the Wingham Police and was told by the officer that there is nothing they can do because the children who are torturing my daughter are under the age of 12. When I asked the police to charge the parent of the child, the police office refused. The police officer went as far to say that this was not a police matter.

We have had many meetings with the school (which included me and members of REDACTEDâ€™s medical team) and the assaults and the bullying just continue. My daughter has the right to an education and the right to feel safe when she goes to school, but little to nothing is being done to protect her. I do not think that home schooling is the answer, which is what the school officials recommended to me. I want REDACTED in a social learning environment, but not one that is physically and mentally dangerous to her.

Today March 26, 2014. I received a call from the school that my daughter who just returned to school was assaulted yet again after being told that they would keep her safe.

In sum, I am writing this letter in hope that something will come of this and that the harm that my daughter has and continues to suffer will come to an end.

Terry