Bullying over lunchbox

[Curious]

I posted a link to this article in the Ken and Lori Alexander thread already, but it will get lost in there and I think it deserves a thread of it's own.

This little boy is (or I guess now was) being bullied over taking a My Little Pony lunchbox to school. Rather than deal with the bullying, the school said he has to use a different lunch box from now on.

Here is the quote from the article that caught my eye (and the reason I posted it in the Ken/Lori thread)

Grayson’s mom, Noreen, is also defending her son, calling the school out for excusing bullying rather than taking action against it. “Saying a lunchbox is a trigger for bullying is like saying a short skirt is a trigger for rape. It’s flawed logic; it doesn’t make any sense,” she said.

http://www.salon.com/2014/03/17/north_c ... socialflow

[Anny Nym]

Since when is My little Pony "wussy" ? Danm, there is a strong male Brony subculture!

Brony groups internationally should be alerted about this case, this school desperately needs a Brony Awareness PSA!

Well, seriously now: that school board is just a ignorant big bully themselves and they are obviously failing at their job and therefor should be abolished.

[Flossie]

Well that just sucks. The article doesn't say if the school tried to discipline any of the aggressors, it suggests that the school's response was to make the boy bring his lunch to school in something that will 'fit in' better with the collective. But by doing this, the boy has been targeted, the bullies know that the school administration won't stick up for him. I see trouble ahead and a future lawsuit for the school.

Another thing. Is the school going to insist that a child with ears that stick out or a big nose get surgery? A girl that develops breasts too early told to bind her chest? Any overweight children should stay home until they lose weight? Require children with speech impediments to not speak until they resolve their speech problem? How about a muslim child, or a jewish child? Should they publicly renounce their religion? And if a child dares to enter the schools rarefied environs in a wheelchair, would that child be told to learn to walk if they want to fit in?

[ljohnson2006]

What next? Bullying over what the kids eat? How sad.

[takers401]

If this were my kid I'd be livid. I'd be doing some serious talking to the principal and the school board. No way my kid gets bullied and then told that to stop the bullying HE has to change.

[NotALoserLikeYou]

What a stupid school principal!!

[Mama Mia]

Awful. And incredibly short-sighted as well. They just set up a system where kids can be bullied over anything at all " different" and feel like they have no recourse.

[RosyDaisy]

I would seriously contemplate doing something that would give a whole meaning to "horse's ass".

[Curious]

If it was me and I had friends that had kids the same age, I would be buying My Little Pony lunch boxes for everyone ;)

I agree with the brony suggestion ;)

[2xx1xy1JD]

Will someone please tell the school officials about this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Bullying_Day

Hat tip to Girl 1, who told me about how kids at her school were wearing pink in support of this.

[itsnikki05]

That school just sucks. Other posters have described what is wrong with this situation. The thing is, lots of kids are different! I had thick glasses and a full fledged woman's figure by the time I was 13! Bigger than my classmates. Trust me, I got attention from it, not all good. I don't get the point in them saying for him to change his lunch box. It's like they are blaming him for being bullied. Way to go, idiots!

[16strong]

I've seen a lot of people side with the principal on this. I don't. Everyone's interests (as long as they are not harmful) should be celebrated and accepted. I'm really mad that the bullies weren't punished. The only thing this does is reinforce that bullies have a right to treat others badly because they are different. I feel like some bronies need to take this kid to school and eat lunch with him. Maybe then the other kids will see that MLP is okay for everyone and doesn't make a person a freak.

[Curious]

It looks like the school changed it's mind (no doubt due to the horrible publicity)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/2 ... ostpopular

[DGayle]

For decades schools have told the victims to change. I was one of them. School officials who tell victims to change should be hauled in for abuse. They're standing by and letting bullies hurt. How is that different than telling a kid in your care to cover his face better while being pummeled? They're not even trying to protect.

[mockingbird]

This doesn't even surprise me after my sister's experience with bullying at her(/my former) high school with severe bullying... she was told it didn't mean the school's definition of bullying and she was probably just not being nice enough to the bullies. Her only chance to see these kids punished was to let it keep happening until it went on long enough or escalated enough that the school had to pay attention. Luckily she has some great teachers who were willing to help her beyond what the school would officially do, but that's only in a few classes. My parents thought about filing a lawsuit if my sister was willing to go through with it, but then they found out about an even worse (honestly, horrifying) situation the school district covered up a year or two ago and figured they had no chance. She's thought about transferring to another school too but seems to want to stay now. So yeah, that culture of blaming the victim is still VERY alive and well at some schools, unfortunately. I'm glad they reversed the decision about the boy's backpack, but I agree it only happened because of the media attention.

[lilwriter85]

I watched the Bronies documentary last night on Netflix. I recommend it and it was an interesting documentary. It explored why some boys and adult men like the show. One of the adult particpants interviewed had his car vandalized for My Little Pony decals and there are some military Bronies that were briefly featured in the documentary.

[Chowder Head]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nationa ... -1.1704464

A my little pony tattoo trend in support against bulling

[Khan]

I wish I could make these jerks sit down and actually watch the show. MLP has helped many folks I know that are on the Spectrum. It helps learn about social conventions and why/how to follow them and teaches how to make friends. Not the least of which is the lessoniI call "don't be a dick." I'm putting out a request to my brony friends to support this kid.

Oh, and one last thought regarding the bullies. The boys who watch "girlie stuff" have reasons to talk to girls. Unlike jerks who pick on people over lunch box choices.