NEW YORK: A few middle school pupils in Queens claim that they are the targets of bullying and physical assault just because they are immigrants.
School officials in the city are currently investigating whether these are isolated cases or if some of the youngest migrants in the area are facing new challenges.
Tearfully, 13-year-old Odilys Torres states, “It’s very difficult.” In September, a few months after her family’s arrival in New York from Venezuela, she began attending J.H.S. 226 in Queens.
She informed CBS New York, while seated next to her mother, that she had been the victim of bullying and beatings on a bus earlier this month while returning from school.
“They grabbed my hair, they punched me in the head, kicked me in the stomach,” she stated in Spanish, “and they did tell me to get out of this country and leave this bus.”
Her family has found refuge at HopeNYC, a church that they frequent. Blocks separate it from the sanctuary the city provided for them following their harrowing and terrifying trek.
A spokesperson from New York City Public Schools tells CBS New York:
“The safety and well-being of all our students is our top priority. After the school was informed of this incident, the school immediately responded, taking all necessary and appropriate steps, including launching an investigation and ensuring access to in-school supports for students. Bullying has absolutely no place in our school communities, and we take every report of bullying extremely seriously.”
“I want it to be publicly known my daughter’s case is not the only case,” Amaja stated.
The mother of Odilys Torres claims that other children at the shelter are experiencing the same thing at school, but when she complained to the school multiple times and filed a police report, the students were suspended and instructors are now closely monitoring her daughter in and out of the classroom.
“I demand that you leave our nation. “You’re not proficient in speaking English,” stated student Abrue Mendez Omanlis.
The family of this adolescent is also residing at the same shelter; they recently arrived from Venezuela. She claims that a bunch of girls also beat her. Her experience took place within the middle school.
Mom Karen Mendez-Parra stated, “I’m shocked because I never thought this would happen.”
Officials at the school are currently looking into her incident.
Despite whatever criticism they could receive for coming forward, the mothers said they don’t want any other young girl to experience what they did.
“I don’t want other people to experience this as well. I’m not entirely fine,” a person confided.
According to school administrators, you should contact them straight away if your child is being bullied at school. They add that yearly training on anti-bullying policy is provided to school workers.
Online reports of bullying can be made by parents and students at nycenet.edu/bullyingreporting.
