My daughter is being bullied at Lamorinda Middle School

My daughter is being bullied at Orinda Intermediate School and the Administration is doing nothing to help her. The definition of school bullying in Wikipedia is 1.An intention to harm: intention suggests the harm caused by bullying is deliberate, not accidental. 2. Victimization distress. 3. Repetition: bullying is persistent, it happens more than once. My daughter is the victim of all these things yet the perpetrators have received more sympathy from the Administration than my daughter.

My daughter began to separate from her group of “friends” in October over plans for Halloween. Four days later, her “group of friends” entered the Counselor’s office with a story that our daughter had been molested. In addition to the lie that they created and corroborated, our property was vandalized.

My daughter was devastated that her “group of friends” did this to her. Even more devastating were the results of the investigation led by the Counselor and the Principal. Because the girls went to the Counselor with the feigned intent of concern for my daughter, and because the Counselor had a personal relationship with the girls who came forward and not my daughter, the Administration did not decide that this qualified as bullying. We appealed to the Superintendent who sided with the Principal. We appealed to the California State Board of Education who sided with the school. In the meantime, my daughter was left friendless, depressed, and hopeless. She missed several days of school and was afraid to return to the school that protected her bullies, not her.

In March, the bullying became persistent. One of the girls we perceive to be the ringleader started spilling the beans to another student she did not know was a friend of the family. She started telling the student the details of the lie, and who in the group started the lie. A week later, several other girls began speaking of the lie, spreading it among their circles. Our daughter is now attending a school while rumors that slander her and harm her reputation are swirling around her. At the same time, the Principal and Superintendent find ways to justify the girls’ reasons for starting and spreading the lie. Our daughter is in essence unprotected while her bullies are protected and allowed to continue what they are doing to her, and consequently to other kids who choose to stand up to them.

At what point will the girls be held accountable for what they did to my daughter? At what point will the Administration realize that they failed my daughter and that they don’t live up to the anti bullying slogan they pander. We have been in the Orinda School District for a decade and have conceded to their demands for money and volunteer hours. When we ask for one thing – justice for our daughter who was slandered and bullied on school grounds – we are vehemently denied.

4w�?+�]�

�q�?-�]�