This REALLY saddens me. Local news from Greece, NY is reporting that the four boys will NOT face criminal charges. WHY NOT? This was obviously not their first rodeo with bullying ans the bus monitor says that they have harassed her before. Others from the school have accused the boys of being bullies. My thoughts are: When is the proper time to say enough is enough and show these children that this behavior simply will not be tolerated? Should the system wait until they have left a wake of emotionally abused peers and elderly behind them? Or wait until one of their bullied victims commits suicide because of their abuse? Is being passive really the right thing to do in this situation? And where are the rest of the parents? Why aren’t they speaking out about their children?
Father of one of the spawn, Robert Helm, reached out to Karen yesterday evening and apologized for his son’s behavior:
“I’m sorry. This is not the way I raised my kids. I never would have in my wildest dreams think that they were capable of anything like this,” Helm said.
“It’s not going to stop with, ‘You’re grounded; you’re not going to get TV.’ This is much bigger than that. This is something for a professional to interview Wesley and to find out what the underlying problem is.”
Robert Helm may have apologized for his son, but it was lacking something…HIS SON DOING THE APOLOGIZING to his victim! When the youth of society see nothing wrong with being disrespectful to the elderly, this is indicative of society as a whole not moving forward in a positive direction. Parents need to get it together and start parenting again. You are NOT your child’s best pal! Kids do not raise themselves. They learn from example and need structure and discipline.
These boys were VICIOUS! Two others have apologized to police - more likely not out of remorse but because they got caught. The fact that they engaged in this kind of behavior to begin with says a lot of their upbringing and the failure of their parents to teach them basic respect.
The refusal of local law enforcement to seek criminal charges is disheartening. Sure, just let the school give them a slap on the wrist and make them pick up trash for a few weeks. Yep, that will learn ‘em!
We’ll be hearing their names again…count on it.
The apologies issued thus far:
Josh: “I am so sorry for the way I treated you. When I saw the video I was disgusted and could not believe I did that. I am sorry for being so mean and I will never treat anyone this way again.”
Wesley: “I feel really bad about what I did. I wish I had never done those things. If that had happened to someone in my family, like my mother or grandmother, I would be really mad at the people who did that to them.”
Wesley’s mom: “I can not even tell you how badly I feel. I am deeply sorry for what my son did. I wish there was some way to make it up to you. I would like it if he could do some work for you or help you in some way. I’m sure that you don’t want him anywhere near you or your property and I don’t blame. I am embarrassed , angry and sad about the awful way he treated you. I am truly sorry.”
Luis’ father: “We apologize, from the bottom of our hearts on what happened. We wish this will never happen again, to nobody and from nobody. Like Luis said, if your friend says to bully somebody, please don’t do it….A couple of people have already died because of this.
We apologize to Ms. Klein. We’re deeply sorry.”
I think this lack of respect started when children were allowed to call their parents by their first names, and when Auntie and Uncle became old hat. My sons still call my sister Auntie and they are forty odd years old, but probably because I have always insisted. Sadly, my sister is not so fussy. I like being called Auntie, and Mum, and Grandma. Such a small thing but it means much to me..
Make sure their NAMES live on the INTERNET forever! They will be very sorry when NO COLLEGE admits them and NO EMPLOYER hires them.
At least they are receiving some consequences:
http://news.yahoo.com/students-suspended-ny-bus-monitor-bullying-222736747.html
Kids in groups tend to do this and there is always one ring leader. My guess is it is the kid who didn’t apologize and whose father claims he’s never acted that way before. Had the incident gotten little or not attention instead of national coverage, I doubt the father would have apologized at all. I doubt the child was even punished at home, what they did was really awful. I don’t know what you do with kids that age, tell them they can’t ride the bus, make the parents arrange transportation, they could sue. Do you keep them off sports teams next year, field trips. What can you do to stop this when it seems the parents don’t feel much except for humiliation that the world knows they raised little monsters who will be big monsters very soon. How does one stop this, when a child’s been raised to think that treatment is acceptable? Punish the parents, make them accountable? This is why the problem exists and is getting worse all the time, indecent people trying to rear children who can’t possibly even know how to be decent.
GREECE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
PRESS STATEMENT
Greece Central School District Superintendent Barbara Deane-Williams today
announced that the due process requirements have been met and the district is able to
release the result of their investigation and the assignment of disciplinary consequences
for the four Athena Middle School students involved in the mistreatment of their bus
monitor.
Following individual meetings this week with school and district administrators, each
family waived their right to a hearing and agreed to one-year suspensions from school
and regular bus transportation. The Greece Central School District is legally required to
provide all students ages 5 to 16 with an education, therefore, during the 2012-13 school
year, the students who have been suspended will be transferred to the district
Reengagement Center, located in a non-school facility. This alternative education
program keeps middle school students on track academically while providing a structured
opportunity for students to take responsibility for their actions by completing community
service hours and receiving formal instruction related to conduct and behavior that
prepares them for a productive future. The program includes a strong parent involvement
component.
Each student will be required to complete 50 hours of community service with senior
citizens and will complete a formal program in bullying prevention, respect and
responsibility. In accordance with district policy, if at 30 weeks into the school year the
students have completed the conditions of their discipline and are in good standing at the
Reengagement Center, they can apply for early readmission to Athena Middle School.
Rarely are school districts able to announce the exact discipline students receive for
violations of the Code of Conduct. It was possible in this case because each of the
students involved admitted to wrongdoing, accepted the recommended consequences and
agreed to permit the district to publically release the terms of their disciplinary action.
The parents and students in this case cooperated fully with our investigation and with the
Greece Police investigation, which helped to expedite this process and resolve this matter
quickly. We thank the Greece Police Department for their continued partnership and
guidance, as well as the many Greece Central School District staff members and school
leaders who have worked to resolve this matter.
This summer, Greece Central School District staff, including transportation employees,
will continue to take part in previously scheduled bullying prevention trainings. The
trainings will include information on New York State’s Dignity for All Students Act,
requiring schools to provide a safe and supportive environment free from discrimination,
intimidation, taunting, harassment and bullying on school property, on school buses and
at school functions.
Greece Central School District remains committed to bullying prevention efforts through
full implementation of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) in all
schools and the Olweus Bullying Prevention model. In 2011, the district established, and
posted on the district website, a clear bullying reporting process that identifies trained
staff in each school for parents and students to work with to address bullying and
harassment if it occurs. This process will be more highly publicized throughout the
district.
The district is currently completing an internal review of policies, training, reporting and
appeals protocols to ensure clear steps that employees and students can take to combat
bullying and behavior that cultivates a negative environment of disrespect. This incident
does not reflect the majority of Greece students but nonetheless we are committed to full
implementation of our discipline policies and Code of Conduct. Those wishing to
anonymously report bullying can do so by calling our Safe School Helpline at 1-800-418-
6423, extension 359.
http://www.9wsyr.com/media/lib/17/f/1/f/f1f80806-5772-47a8-a675-003619e35d82/Discipline_statement.pdf
my last day of school this year, I felt like I did not want to go back, I wanted to resign, then this happened, it was all too familiar. I see this sort of thing every day, the kids are just plain horrible, not all of them, and the well behaved kids have to witness this type of stuff every day. This made me want to quit even more! it’s appalling! I am glad the whole world has taken notice and is totally flabbergasted as well. I was bullied on the school bus terribly and so was my brother, back in the seventies, and ironically we grew up just a few hours from here, after living near NYC in Westchester where we didn’t see bullying. bunch of ignoramus people! but I feel a certain feeling that justice was served….finally, a bit.
I really see this problem as a parental problem. These kids haven’t been taught respect at home and the school has limited authority anymore to do anything about it until the public gets to see something like this. I’m glad they were punished, but still want to know if the other parents apologized.
This was bloody awful, and it is a Parent Problem. But no one ever holds the parents responsible. A hefty Fine wouldn’t go amiss. Parents must be help responsible for the behaviour of their children.