Mom says students are constantly bullying her daughter

A frustrated mother is seeking justice for her teen daughter, who she said has constantly been bullied at the St Catherine-based high school she attends.

It is alleged that the teen locked herself in the bathroom on Tuesday afternoon until her mother arrived, fearful that her tormentors would carry out on their threat to beat her at the end of the school day.

"The bullying started in grade seven. They've always troubled her," the mother shared, her voice heavy with emotion. "She says they provoke her because she's quiet, but it got worse after COVID."

"She said they started calling her ugly. After COVID, she kept wearing the mask. She wouldn't wear it at home, but as soon as she got to the school gate, she'd put it on. I talked to her about it, but she insisted," she added. The mother said that in a previous incident, one of her daughter's classmates had to call her when a boy kicked her.

"I had to go to the school, but nothing came of it," she said.

On Tuesday, the anxious mother rushed to the school after asking her boss for time off. When she arrived, she said the security officer refused her entry. Pleading for her daughter's safety, she eventually gained access and found her child still locked in the bathroom.

"The dean of discipline knows me well because I've been up here several times about the same situation," the mother explained. "Last week, my daughter made a report, but no one contacted me. I'm her parent. If there are issues with my child's well-being, I need to be informed."

She added, "I've never seen my baby like that. Even in the office, she was shaking. She was so afraid. They were planning to hurt her, and they would've done it." However, the mother is not pleased with the school's response.

"I asked what would happen next, and they said they'd discuss it after lunch. My daughter was told to give them the names. It's like they didn't even care. If I didn't stay and ask questions, I wouldn't have got their attention. I did not leave my daughter there, I put her on a taxi myself and then went back to work and even then I was still afraid," she said, adding that the teen was unable to return to school yesterday.

The mother said that her daughter is finding it hard to focus and participate in school; she also fears the situation is affecting her academic performance.

"She's trying to stay off their radar, and it's making her withdraw from everything," she said. She called on teachers and school resource officers to take bullying seriously.

"It's not just a little dispute -- these bullies are dangerous and they will harm other children," she said.