Bullying: Does LHISD have a problem?

Was there a problem of bullying in the Liberty Hill Independent School District? If you were to ask Amanda Crossland, a member of the City Council, the definite answer would be yes. Jaycee, a 15-year-old sophomore at Liberty Hill High School, had been bullied by his peers for being a gay couple in the prior weeks leading up to his tragic suicide in October.

Since the death of Amanda Crosslands, who has been advocating for ways to improve how students treat each other on campuses, she has created an online group called Hope Jaycee’s. This nonprofit organization plans to turn into a platform among other social medias where students and parents from the district can gather to share stories about their own bullies.

Amanda Crossland said that going through this process has opened her eyes to the issues of bullying, including how some real changes can spark hopes for administrators and officials in LHISD. She mentioned that her new organization is handling these cases and that kids are being subjected to bullying both inside and outside of school.

Harassment in the LHISD.

While the district does have a student code of conduct with an extensive section on bullying, some parents feel that it is not being followed as protocol.

Kristie Rickard, Simone’s mother, said that their perspective on the community changed when they moved from Burns Middle School to Hill Liberty. She mentioned that the district school and the community provided a wonderful culture, and they were delighted to hear about it after their move.

Rickard expressed, “She was facing persistent harassment, and I made it a point to visit the school nearly every day to inform the administration. They would mock her in passing, labeling her with derogatory terms such as ‘whore’ and ‘slut.’ Additionally, other students propagated false stories about my daughter, cruelly remarking on her weight and appearance, and even suggesting that she take her own life.”

Rickard expressed that she doesn’t believe officials made the utmost effort, despite her reporting the situation.

She expressed that she had not received any response from the district regarding their plans to address the problem or improve the situation. “All we kept hearing was ‘treat them kindly, be patient, things will improve.’ Can you believe it? Essentially, they were implying to my daughter that this behavior was acceptable.”

Rickard stated that she moved her daughter to a school in the Leander Independent School District this year because LHISD failed to take any measures to ensure her safety.

Rickard stated, “My daughter was absent for a total of 173 days of school during her sixth-grade year. She pleaded with me to transfer her to a different school, but unfortunately, we did not find a solution.”

She is also planning to hire an attorney to help her navigate her daughter’s treatment concerns within LHISD. Rickard said she has contacted the Education Board of the State of Texas as well as TEA to file a formal complaint.

Another parent from Liberty Hill, April Neves, mentioned that her sixth-grade son, whom she wishes to keep anonymous, has also experienced bullying.

“Those matters have been resolved and addressed by the district, however, he presently encounters another tormentor whom we are presently in the course of pursuing legal action against,” Neves stated. “He was struck on the bus, encountered a problem in gym class where certain girls were teasing and physically assaulting him, and one child even exposed his underpants in the changing room.”

According to Neves, the student is notorious for surreptitiously prodding his finger into the backsides of other students while also simulating “humping” movements with his legs, unbeknownst to them.

Neves expressed, “During high school, I dread pondering the potential consequences if this child fails to grasp the lesson at hand and immediate action is not taken.” Neves asserted, “We will be pressing charges on behalf of my son and the silenced and fearful children. However, as per the document we signed, that young boy is unable to establish visual contact with my son.”

She said she has witnessed multiple incidents of bullying, and she has been attending LHISD schools since fifth grade. Neves Teagin, Neves’ daughter, is a freshman at LHHS who is involved in FFA and plays basketball.

She expressed, “Regrettably, I must state that during my nearly six-year attendance at Liberty Hill, no individual has taken action to address the highly concerning problem of bullying within the district. I have personally experienced bullying, and although it was not excessively severe, it did cause me to experience reluctance towards attending school.” I am of the opinion that solely in the high school, there are more than 100 students who are subjected to bullying due to their appearance or attire.

Teagin Neves added that cyberbullying has gotten out of hand, because some of the accounts that are used for bullying are untraceable.

She expressed her desire to voice her concerns regarding the matter. Many children hesitate to speak up against the issues due to the fear of ridicule or being labeled as a ‘snitch,’ but I am not afraid of being called a ‘snitch’ because this is a grave problem within this school district and it requires immediate intervention.

What is the district’s response?

Superintendent Steve Snell stated that bullying within LHISD “is not accepted.”

“None of the schools we want or need are good. It is a 24-hour task for them to deal with. Nowadays, bullying happens in various forms, such as through social media and cell phones, making it impossible for kids to escape. In the past, bullying would only occur at school, as students always had a safe place like church or home. Snell said, ‘The challenge with bullying is that when a kid gets bullied, they might not report it to anyone, whether it’s at home or school.'”

Snell added that the staff and teachers across the district are actively working with students to create a nice environment in each building.

He expressed, “In my opinion, our educational institutions effectively provide opportunities to facilitate children’s connections.” “In terms of assisting the children in that aspect, I believe our educators perform admirably,” he added. “The past couple of years have seen increased seclusion due to COVID.”

The code of conduct for students and the handbook for parents and students outline the repercussions of bullying and harassment, which are available for viewing on the LHISD website. According to Snell, each instance of bullying is handled on a case-by-case basis.

Snell stated, “It is important to understand that engaging in appropriate behavior is not only a piece of education, but there are also consequences if you are bullying someone. There are two parts to it. We contact the parents and involve the kids,” Snell explained. “We go through the protocols that the district has in place and there is an official bullying report that we file.”

The principal assistant is notified to take care of the issue of bullying at the end goal, while providing support to the students, if a school counselor becomes aware of the situation, said Jamie Richardson, the counseling coordinator for LHISD.

She stated, “We aim to assist them in reaching a point where they comprehend that engaging in bullying is not a prudent choice and grasp the reasons behind their aggressive behavior.” “In numerous instances, our assistance extends not only to the victim of bullying but also to the perpetrator, as there is typically an underlying issue affecting them as well.”

LHISD Trustee Kathy Major stated that the school board’s responsibility is to offer assistance to the actions taken by district officials, while also acknowledging the significance of the matter.

The school district and board are eager to reduce bullying to the fullest extent possible and are prepared to support and oversee proactive plans to help move forward. They understand the importance of making plans and what they need to do, and they are ready to assist in any way they can.

In what ways has bullying evolved?

Principal Major, retired from Liberty Hill, stated that bullying has long been a significant part of students’ lives and adding an extra layer of social media makes it much easier. It’s important to recognize that this problem cannot be solved overnight as it involves people who have been socially involved for a long time.

Major stated that social media has such a prompt impact that it reaches individuals instantaneously. Almost anyone, regardless of their age, has the ability to utilize social media in order to acquire a certain level of influence, which is the focal point of bullying. Major further explained that social media serves as a medium for bullies since they have the freedom to express anything they desire without facing any real consequences or responsibility for their actions.

Does Snell say anything when he personally talks to them, or do they just say they don’t want any drama? And why don’t students report when they’re bullied? The superintendent has been in the district for over four years, and he can say that the amount of bullying cases is underreported. He also says it’s hard to say if bullying has gotten worse in the district.

He stated, “If we genuinely desire to establish a culture of absolute intolerance, then it must be promptly brought to our attention.” “The act of reporting is of utmost importance, explaining why it often occurs discreetly in the absence of adults, as children are quite astute. Please contact the administration or a teacher via phone or email, and we will take appropriate action.”

Since August 2021, Richardson has exclusively been a member of LHISD, but she has served in the counseling field at four distinct educational districts. She mentioned that her counselors haven’t informed her about an imbalanced prevalence of bullying this year in comparison to the previous academic year. However, she is unable to provide a definitive response regarding the presence of a bullying issue in LHISD.

She expressed, “What I can state is that the emergence of social media has amplified the availability of harassment.” “Beyond the educational institution, we are unable to regulate the activities of students on their individual gadgets, but we can implement restrictions on their school-issued devices.”

Is there any modifications being done?

After joining the LHISD team, Richardson and the campus counselors have implemented a regular routine of delivering educational sessions on prevention.

She stated, “It had been occurring prior to that, but it was occurring more casually. Starting from kindergarten until 12th grade, now we ensure to incorporate it as an integral component of our guidance lessons.”

Richardson has worked in counseling for over 20 years, starting as early as third grade when bullying can begin, and continuing through high school, where name-calling and other similar acts can occur.

Richardson expressed, “Counselors regard bullying with great importance.” “In the school setting, our objective is for each student to experience a feeling of inclusion and security, and if they do not experience this, we strongly encourage them to approach us for a conversation so that they can receive the assistance they require,” he further stated.

The principal of the High School, Bryon Ellison, expressed that the most significant action students can take is to report anything they witness. He emphasized that the school administration cannot intervene if they are unaware of the situation. Regarding the investigation of bullying allegations, as well as instances of harassment and mistreatment, he has confidence in his staff’s proactive approach.

Snell stated, “Regarding the issues we observe on campus, we will take the necessary steps to resolve them if there are occurrences outside of the school premises that contribute to these problems.” Snell further mentioned, “If there are events happening beyond the school environment, we can also address those if a student expresses their concerns to us.”

Snell stated that the present effort for the district is to integrate student-driven campaigns against bullying.

He stated, “We believe that when students take charge, they have the ability to create a beneficial influence.” “It can have a significant effect if we implement anti-bullying initiatives that are led by students. Some schools are more advanced in this aspect than others, and each campus will accomplish this through their student council and honor society. Our objective is to establish a nurturing environment where all children are embraced and treated equitably, without having concerns about bullying.”

Major stated that for the school district to effectively address bullying issues, it is crucial for the students themselves to actively participate in finding solutions.

The board has a role to take in supporting us as we lead the students in fighting against bullying in our community and schools. We are also working towards changing historical attitudes.

Major stated that harassment is a worldwide conversation, and it ought to be, but every occurrence of intimidation ought to be addressed individually.

She said that it is the most important thing that we can get an idea from the kids on how we can change this idea, because we can’t report what’s happening and it’ll get worse. It’s not true that we have to let our older kids take the lead in watching our little kids because if the little kids have high standards and accountability, the community and parents will also be involved.

Major, who has dedicated her entire career to working in education and previously served as a principal in LHISD, stated that parents and students often wait until the end of the school year to report ongoing bullying situations, which happens frequently.

“In order to address the issue, it is important for all of us to collaborate, thus preventing bullying from occurring predominantly in the presence of teachers. This sheds light on the problem rather than exacerbating it when it is reported. However, some individuals may claim that they didn’t want to worsen the situation or simply hoped that it would resolve on its own, which prompts me to question why they chose to wait until the end of the year to inform me.”

Major emphasized that every teacher she has collaborated with throughout her years has been enthusiastic about preventing bullying, at the very least.

Snell stated that there is no magical method to halt bullying, but instead, it requires a multi-tiered strategy.

“But they are not always,” he stated. “And I desire to inform you that the outcomes would be completely efficient, but they are not always. Those outcomes are outlined in our set of rules. Each instance is distinct, and there are various levels of outcomes depending on the seriousness and extent of harassment.”

The Student Code of Conduct and Parent/Student Handbook of LHISD can be accessed here: Student Handbooks / Student Handbooks (txed.Net).