There is a difference between keeping your kid in school if he is getting teased a bit. We all got teased at one point or another and it is something that's awful. That being said, I would keep my kid in a school if it was some minor teasing here or there.

If my child was going through what this kid is going through? I would pull him out of there so fast. I think it's abuse to force him to go through that everyday. I am glad that they are fighting for him, but what about his mental well-being? The kid has to be miserable. He must be so happy at the end of the day when school is over, but a few hours later when he realizes it's time for bed and it's going to start all over soon? He has got to be a wreck. I know I would be.

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Good for them! Parents who allow their children to be bullys should be hit in the wallet. I think they should sue the parents of each bully and press assault charges, as well as suing the school system. Why do we suggest that the bullied child leave the school? Why not expell the bullys instead?

We have a "joke" here in Tennessee:
What is the best thing about the Mississippi River?
It keeps Arkansas a mile away!

I know why they are bullying him: he is a gorgous, talented child, big bully fodder here in the South.

My friend's 13 year old daughter is tall, thin and blond. She has been bullied for years by white trash rednecks. This past fall, a 16 year old attacked her as she sat in a seat at the movie theater on behalf of a 13 year old friend (why a 16 year old hangs out with 13 year olds is beyond me) who was jealous because her boyfriend talked to my friend's daughter. The 16 year old had a friend record the attack with a cell phone so she could put it on her myspace page. My friend did press charges. The judge told the 16 year old to stay away from her daughter. Wow, thanks judge!
In the "old days", the parents of a bullied child could have a bigger kid beat the crap out of the bully. Too bad that is no longer acceptable.

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Would you wait unitl hs to do this if it started in elem school? It seems too little to late-

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I've been following this story for a few days.

The part that really got me was the comments by school administration that Billy had somehow brought this on himself. If he'd been someone in law enforcement who said that about a woman who had been repeatedly assaulted by her husband or boyfriend, he would have severely criticized and very likely lost his job or put on suspension. If it were Billy's parents that had caused these repeated injuries, child services would have yanked the kids out of the household.

So why is it OK for one kid to do it to another?

At least we've pretty much come far enough to say that a child who gets hit by a parent isn't responsible, or a woman who gets beat up by her boyfriend isn't at fault.

Unfortunately if everyone just moves their kids to another school then the system will never change. Someone has to challenge the status quo.

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My daughter gets teased at school. It is true that most schools - teachers, administrators and what not - don't do much in the way of consequences for bullies. It is a common thing to think that we all have to grow a thick skin and can't be rellying on others to fight our battles. As grown ups we are still open to being teased and bullied and life goes on. Now there is a difference between being teased and flat out assaulted, although both can cause serious issues. If I were to find out that my children were being treated as this kid was, I would do all - and I mean ALL - in my power to put a stop to it. (short of commitin a crime) Otherwise, I try and be there for my daughter so that she knows she can talk to me about anything. I have talked to her teacher and she flat out told me there wasn't much she could do other than keep an eye out. (That wasn't very comforting!)

All in all, if my daughter was in danger of physical harm, or subsantial emotional harm, then I would move her. But I would also make a big deal with the administrators of the schools that make victims of bullying more of a victim by telling them to just ignore the bully.

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Ack! Bullying is just intolerable.

I hate it when people resort to suing the school district to prove some philosophical point, but in this case, if the school is not legitimately punishing the bullies, then suing them is valid since they're not enforcing basic safety---and what could be a more basic foundation to education?

If this were my kid, I would do whatever ultimately protected her long term mental and physical health. In some cases, it might be keeping the child there and learning how to defend herself. In other cases, it would be taking her to another district or even homeschooling.

I can't help but be curious about what's really going on here? Why this kid? If it's as simple as he was picked on once and didn't fight back, then you'd better believe I'd be telling him to hit back until the bullying stopped.

My daughter is not bullied now, but she did get punched once by a kid in kindergarten. I nipped it in the bud with a call to the principal and some coaching of my daughter, but I did some research online and I read so many heartbreaking stories of adults telling bullying impacted their lives.

I wonder if these parents were trying so hard to the "right thing" that they handed over too much trust and power to the school district.

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No, bullying shouldn't be tolerated, and yes, I think the parents are making a great first step by suing the parents of one of the bullies. (I take it this is probably the ringleader of the bullying) Personally I think the parents should sue every parent/guardian of every bully. Might make a difference in the long run.
My daughter handled a bully in kindergarten, and got in trouble for it. Another little girl was made fun of for a birth defect on a daily basis. My daughter, as she'd been taught, daily went to the teacher/s in the classroom/on duty and reported the behavior. This childs' mom had left instructions the her little angel couldn't be spanked, sat in a corner, made to sit out a recess, made to eat lunch away from the others in class, etc. In short, she forbade any kind of correction, allowing the school only the option of "reasoning" with him. I'm sorry, but a 5-yr. old who has gets an adrenaline rush from being able to cause another student to cry, won't be reasoned with.
Anyway, one day my daughter had enough, and piled into this boy and cleaned his clock. Usually I think fighting doesn't solve anything, but I have lived long enough to understand that there are exceptions, and this was one of them. Unfortunantely my daughter got a spanking for what she did. I had left word that my daughter could be spanked. I changed the instructions the day I found out about the incident, to "Before my daughter is spanked, you must contact me, and LET ME SPEAK TO HER." I wasn't going to just go on "Your daughter was seen punching another student." I was going to find out if there was good reason.
When I talked to Deborah about this, she said it worked tho. The little boy never made fun of her friend again. Seems she'd cornered him a bit later and told him that even if she got a spanking every time, she'd beat him up every time (she'd done a great job of it the first time) and the whole school would know that he was always getting beat up by a GIRL!
I realize that many would call her actions bullying, and say they should be stopped. Obviously the school thought so. But obviously the little boy hadn't been impressed by the actions taken by the school board, or allowed by his mom, but just as abviously he was impressed by the actions of my child. He behaved the whole rest of the time he was in that school. Someone had applied consequences that he feared and understood. The schools need to understand that about every human, the consequences have to be something they both understand and fear.
I hope the judge in this case makes the parents being sued, require their bully son, to take a minimum wage job, cleaning latrines (there's some in every state) by hand, to pay off the judgement against them! See how the kid likes it himself. Oh, and put him in with some perps working off misdeameanors, who are bigger, meaner and who hate him and bully him when the guards aren't looking. And pound it into him on a minute to minute basis "You brought this on yourself, you brought this on yourself. When you can take responsibility for your own actions, of your own accord, THEN you can start talking about a change of venue."

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If it was that bad I would consider moving.

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Hang in there Billy Wofle! 
My son, Ryan, has been bullied unmercifully for 3 years now by jocks in his class. It all started with naming Ryan the class Fag and his self esteem and social standing have taken a dive from there.
The “fearless” leader of these bullies (son of a weak mother & no father) gets away with what he is doing every year, but our family vigilance has enabled the school to send two of his cohorts packing — one 2 years ago and one this year… 
My son still suffers everyday though because his classmates will not admit what they see and hear the bullies do — naturally they all fear they will be next.
We cheer for Billy Wolfe & his family! Go get justice!

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I have spent my school years being the victim of nasty bullying and I applaud the parents for standing up for their child in this. One thing I think would really, really help would be to have one's child learn martial arts. I grew up learning two styles and am now learning a third and once I started learning how to defend myself (and proving that) the physical bullying stopped.

Emotional bullying continued (and continues even now in my later years of college) and there is nothing to be done with that. Put simply, people suck. They will be cruel and unkind and uncaring and they will stomp on you at any chance they get. That's the way of the world, in my experience, and as such I have learned that it's "That which does not break me makes me stronger." Thanks to Nietzsche for the quote, of course.

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I totally agree yesterday my son was jumped by 4 other students and instead of punishing the bullies the school offered my child passing grades of semester test , Arkansas schools are terrible about covering this up , my son was taken to hospital by ambulance and has a concossion , plus pulled muclsels in his neck . I would love to speak with the parents to know how to go about the law suit . This has been a problem all year and has gotten worse .they did not do anything besides talk to the bullies . even when I reported to police he said they would talk to them . It is crap , My child tried to run from them and with 4 he couldn't get away fast enough . what can I do ?

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