I See This Happening Way Too Often

I don’t know how many times I have seen the victim being revictimized, where a student is bullied and complains to school officials and they do nothing and then in desperation the victim defends himself or herself from the bully only to be arrested. In a November news article the school officials Hercules High School in California were reported saying,

School officials say the transgender student initiated the physical contact, but only after she was verbally assaulted.

"After being under stressful situations day after day of being teased and talked about, obviously at some point you're going to explode," said Charles Ramsey with the West Contra Costa School Board.

The transgender student complained to school administrators about being bullied just two days ago and a warning was given to the other students involved.

Notice that the school officials knew that there was bullying before the trans-student fought back. Now a trans-student has been arrested on battery charges at the same school [I do not know if it is the same student from the November incident], according to KGO her attorney said,

"I don't understand quite why the District Attorney's office would prosecute someone who's already been a victim of bullying. I think it's a further victimization of somebody who's been a target of homophobia and transphobia,” said Kaylie Simon, a public defender.

The law is very clear, the school has a legal responsibility to provide a safe school environment which it seems that they have not. The school board has proposed a new anti-bullying policy but it seems to be a dollar short and a day late. According to San Francisco Appeal they will vote on the policy later this month,

The new comes after a fight broke out on Nov. 15 at Hercules High School between transgender girl and two other teens after the transgender teen claims she was bullied about her gender.

The fight prompted a special meeting in December where the school board vowed to make district schools safer, Ramsey said.

“Our schools are safe places where you can come learn and not have to feel stressed out,” he said.

New policies to prevent sexual harassment and bullying that were proposed in December will come back to the board for final approval on Jan. 29, he said.

They should have done this years ago like other school districts in California, now as a result of their inaction a trans-student is facing criminal charges.