A few weeks back a coworker confessed to me that she though her son was gay. She also though her son was being harassed by other students at his school… Burns Middle School in Brandon…. She told me it had gone beyond names into slashing his bike tires and other acts of vandalism. She told me she felt helpless because the school administrators told her they could do nothing.
At this point, I dropped an email to PFLAG in brandon, who were sympathetic but told me they believed the principal was “fair” whatever that means.
I got an IM today at work that she was leaving because her son had been “in a fight” and had a black eye. There is a pattern of violence at this school that seems to be escalating with each passing year. There’s at least one article at the St. Pete times about a girl at burns being bullied by other female students. In this case, her son was being bullied by male students.
Who’s fault is it when students commit homophobic violence. In the case of that highly publicized video from polk county where one student is locked in a house and beaten while other students look on, the parents confess that “there was nothing they could do.”
I feel helpless. How much do I stick my nose in when it’s clearly none of my concern, except… when someone is beaten because they are gay… it really is my concern. But what to do…??? Especially realizing that there are only a very few days left in school.
I feel helpless, angry and very much saddened. And it’s not even about blame… because it’s my fault to. It’s my fault I allow this in the city where I live.