School Bullying Council

Never bully somebody bigger than you. You never know when they might be Zangief in disguise.

Casey Haynes had had enough. He’d been bullied all his school life, and when Ritchard Gale decided it would be fun to throw a few punches at the overweight kid, Casey snapped. Diving forward, Casey lifted his attacker bodily into the air before slamming him to the concrete in a manner akin to the character Zangief from Street Fighter, leading to the moniker “Zangief Kid.”

Casey was suspended for 4 days from his school in Sydney, Australia, while the instigator of the fight, Ritchard, was suspended for 21 days. An online outpouring of congratulations to Casey for standing up to bullying soon followed, along with debate over if Casey was in the right to deliver a pile-driver to the smaller boy.

Internet group Anonymous has taken up Casey’s cause, reposting the video and remixing it with Team Fortress 2 and Street Fighter, DDOS’ing the school’s website, and prank calling Ritchard Gale and his family.

The mother of the bully recently went on Australian TV and said that she wanted her son to apologize to Casey, saying of the viral video “We don’t need this posted everywhere. I would like him to apologize.”

Whether or not the kid was in the right, one thing is for sure; he’s got a hell of a career in wrestling waiting for him.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/108538-Kid-Becomes-Little-Zangief-in-Response-to-Bullying

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The parents of a sophomore who transferred to Ballard High School because of alleged bullying at another school have filed a lawsuit claiming Jefferson County Public Schools is preventing the student from playing sports this year, despite a ruling from the Kentucky High School Athletic Association granting her eligibility.

The lawsuit, filed on Thursday in Jefferson Circuit Court, claims Maddie Martin transferred from du Pont Manual High School in fall 2010 because she was being bullied and harassed and enrolled at Ballard, where she filed an appeal with the athletic association to play basketball and softball, as she had previously.

After a hearing, the athletic association granted the 16-year-old an exemption to play at Ballard without having to sit out a year, as is typical, because a hearing officer found Maddie was “bullied and the coaches at du Pont Manual failed to intercede to protect her from this treatment,” according to a passage from the lawsuit quoting the athletic association ruling. “She was clearly entitled to their protection as she was being harassed. There is not any evidence to support the idea that Maddie’s transfer was motivated in whole or in part by the desire to participate in athletics.”

But attorney Teddy Gordon, who represents the Martins, said at a press conference Thursday that the school district “refused to follow the order” of the athletic association and the family is now asking a circuit judge to intervene and allow Maddie to immediately participate in varsity athletics.

No court hearing date has been set.

The lawsuit names the school district, Jerry Wyman, director of athletics for the school district, and Joseph Burks, administrative supervisor of athletics for the school district, who, the suit claims, ruled Maddie is only eligible to play sports at Seneca High School, her “resides” school, or the one to which she would be assigned based on her address, which has been labeled a failing school.

Gordon said the school district has its own rule — outside of the athletic association — where students transferring are not eligible to play for a year.

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20110310/NEWS01/303100036/Lawyer-plans-lawsuit-behalf-student-who-wants-play-sports-Ballard-High-School?odyssey=nav%7Chead

Michelle Macleod, left, argues her son Dillon, 14, has been repeatedly bullied since September and his high school has not done enough to stop it. She is now suing the school board and looking to charge Dillon’s bully. (JAMIE LONG/QMI Agency)

OTTAWA – A south-Ottawa mother is planning to sue Ottawas largest school board and have charges brought against her sons alleged bully after a series of incidents since September.

Michelle Macleod says her son Dillon, 14, has been repeatedly targeted by another teenage boy at Longfields-Davidson Heights Secondary School in Barrhaven, and the school has not done enough.

The Grade 8 student told QMI Agency his locker was smashed an event captured on video and the other student spread rumours that Dillon was gay.

It started with pushing and shoving, then ripping my hood off, throwing my hat in the water, but then it escalated, said Dillon, who was afraid to tell his mom about the incidents.

The feud then boiled over Jan. 27 when the alleged bully asked Dillon to fight during the lunch break. He obliged and now has a laundry list of injuries, including a broken right hand.

Macleod didnt know about the fight until Monday four days later when the school contacted her about suspending Dillon for the school week.

They took absolutely no blame for their actions at all, Macleod said after meeting with the schools principal, vice-principal and school resource officer.

The officer even said bullying is not against the law and they said no bullying has been done regarding Dillon whatsoever.

The other student was suspended for an unknown length of time, but Macleod said he hadnt been suspended for any of his earlier actions.

I had previous conversations with the vice-principal regarding him being bullied, but in the meeting … they wouldnt admit to it.

The schools resource officer did not return phone calls over the past few days.

The board did say: There are two sides to every story, but wouldnt elaborate because the case involved an individual student.

All Ontario schools have an anti-bullying policy, which is legally required under the provinces Safe Schools Act.

The board told QMI Agency there is a progressive discipline approach, but Macleod argued it wasnt followed in this case.

Macleod said she went into the meeting looking for an apology and possibly some changes to the schools bullying policy. But the lack of remorse or receptiveness left her upset, she said, which led her to family lawyer Paul Jakubiak.

Jakubiak represented Kanata mother Krisha Stanton, who sued Ottawas Catholic School Board for $325,000 after her daughter was bullied in 2007. The case was settled out of court in November.

Jakubiak confirmed he is representing Macleod, but wouldnt comment any further.

They are meeting Friday to file the lawsuit.

jamie.long@sunmedia.ca

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Crime/2011/02/03/17144886.html