Ariz. School District refuses to meet with anti-bullying group, hangs up on activist

A gay student at Wigwam Creek Middle School is seeking public action to help put an end to verbal harassment and bullying at his school after the districts superintendent has refused to take action on the matter. Pleas for long-term bullying solutions from the boy’s family and LGBT support groups including Gays and Lesbians United Against Discrimination and The Bullying Project have been unsuccessful to date.

The student’s bullying began on Facebook where students wrote gay slurs on his Facebook page, later taunting and teasing the boy, whose name has not been released, on school grounds.

After the boy’s family initially took action to stop the bullying, the school reprimanded the offending bullies with detention – but things did not get better according to the family.

The family sought the help of Gays and Lesbians United Against Discrimination (GLUAD), an organization founded by 16-year-old Caleb Laieski, later recruiting The Bullying Project in an effort to resolve the bullying long-term.

According to reports at The Bullying Project, the school and district did not take action to help put an end to the boy’s bullying after the first round of communications. An advocate for The Bullying Project contacted the superintendent to initiate another meeting in an attempt to establish long-term solutions to bullying, but the district superintendent refused the meeting, stating the matter was already closed.

The district released the following statement earlier in the investigation: “We did speak with the student and their parents… It was my understanding that the parents did not support the organization contacting the district. However, the disagreement between the two students, it occurred on Facebook and was resolved.”

The Bullying Project has posted the following call to action for Litchfield Elementary School District to put an end to student bullying for its LGBT students. Watch the video now.