Bullying pushes mother to seek changes

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - A Buffalo mother says her child suffered unimaginable bullying at a top local school and she's taken her fight for justice to the school board.

"I didn't know what to do. I couldn't believe I was stuck with the choice of pulling her from a school she was academically excelling in, simply to keep her alive," said CarmenRose Brittan.

Brittan says for two years, during the 6th and 7th grade, her daughter was bullied at City Honors School.

"A particular student would write her up daily, mocking her, and humiliating her for what she wore in school that day. They would force her to empty their cafeteria tray tables. One girl slammed her over the head with a book. Very, very demeaning psychological warfare," said Brittan.

She says she reached out the principal to make it stop, but when he asked her daughter about it she was apparently too scared to say anything.

Brittan, who's a teacher in a different school district, moved her daughter to a private school but demanded an investigation take place.

Chris Putrino, legal counsel for Buffalo Public Schools, said, "It is regrettable that Ms. Brittan remains displeased with the Buffalo Public Schoolsefforts to address her allegations. Nevertheless, this board and superintendent offer their assurances that the investigation into Ms. Brittan's concerns was multiphase and thorough."

In front of the school board, Brittan asked the district to change its policies.

"That the district is forced to go beyond just asking the terrified victim in the school building as to what she had gone through," said Brittan.

If nothing else, Brittan is hoping to change the way future bully cases are handled.

"Other parents of bullied school children may not have the same resources we do, to simply remove their child from a public school and place them in an expensive private school. Other parents will be facing this exact same problem and they won't be able to do this. I want to do it for those children," said Brittan.

Brittan has contacted Assemblyman Sean Ryan and State Senator Timothy Kennedy hoping to gain their support. She's also writing to New York State Commissioner of Education John King to look into how the investigation was conducted, and also try and put safeguards in place for children who are victims of bullying.