Girl bullied at East Jordan -- Family wants the bully out
EAST JORDAN -- It's a major concern for parents -- when you send your kids off to school you want to know they're safe.
But one mother contacted 7&4 News saying that her daughter was receiving death threats, and the school might not be doing enough to make sure her daughter is safe.
“Most girls do take quizzes about what pop stars are most kissable or if they're kissable. I guess I was in a running for most killable in a quiz, and I just didn't know it," said incoming freshman Amanda Allsteadt.
14-year old Amanda Allsteadt says one of her classmates was taking hatred to the extremes.
"She was threatening to kill me physically, it actually killed me emotionally and mentally," said Allsteadt.
So she and her mother went to the principal, in hopes to make the bullying stop. But it didn't.
"She'd be hiding in the bathroom, scared, not wanting to be in school, she started missing school," said Amanda’s mother Melissa Ayers.
And as a result, the decision was made. The family filed a personal protection order against her classmate.
At first, a PPO wasn't even a thought for Amanda or her mother. They thought that the bully was just being a teen. It wasn't until they heard from a family friend that on Facebook, there were some very alarming statements. Statements like, "I swear to God I'm ready to shoot some of my classmates.
“It took us quite a bit to go ahead and do it, because it's a kid," said Ayers.
Under the terms of the PPO the girl that it's against is not supposed to be in the same building or within sight of Allsteadt -- but the school hasn't decided yet if they will allow her to attend -- something that would violate the PPO.
I spoke with Superintendent Susan Wooden, who started her new job a week and a half ago with East Jordan schools. She says she can't comment on particular cases, but she can say this about bullying in her schools.
"My stance is zero tolerance. You know, if there's a very serious issue, I'm going to hop on it right away, take a look at it, do a thorough investigation, and insure kids are taken care of," said Wooden.
Amanda and her family met with Wooden on Tuesday. They say her stance is promising, because they say last year, they felt betrayed by the district.
"She sounded like she wanted to clean up this school and make it a safe place for kids to learn," said Wooden.
And for the family, that's all they can ask for.
Wooden tells 7&4 News that any reports of bullying are reviewed by the school.
But keep in mind -- it's also the district's obligation to educate all children.
