VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Bullying is one of the biggest problems in Central Florida schools. A 13-year-old bullying victim in Volusia County talked to WFTV Friday about his experience.
BULLYING VICTIM: Emotional Interview
"Did you think that you wanted to kill yourself?" WFTV reporter Daralene Jones asked victim Dondre Jones,"
"Yes," he replied.
In many cases, the bullies aren't getting in much trouble, and now, it's costing school districts because of lawsuits. In Volusia County this year, there were 121 reported bullying cases, and no bullies were expelled.
Dondre said he was chased out of three different schools because of bullies who wouldn't leave him alone.
His attorney's in Orlando put the district on notice. They plan to sue for $300,000, which is the most they can get. The allegation is that the district and administrators did nothing to stop it.
"I was thinking, 'What did I do wrong?" Dondre asked.
Dondre is a typical kid who said he just wants to fit in. He said his classmates at Holly Hill Middle School bullied him all year.
However, four students took it too far in October, while a teacher watched and blew it off as kids joking around.
"They started pulling on me and then another boy came from behind and pulled my pants down," he said.
It didn't stop there. They took pictures on their cell phones and threatened to post them on the Internet.
"How did that make you feel?" Daralene Jones asked.
"I feel like… (cries)" replied Dondre.
Doctors eventually put him on suicide watch. His mother wrote letters complaining to administrators, and she tried sending her son to another school. But he was bullied there too, and as a result, he's being homeschooled, going to therapy, and taking anti-depressants.
Attorneys Earnest Deloach and Andre Young said lawsuits towards schools are a new trend that's growing fast. Local attorneys have sent hundreds of complaints to districts this year, and there are five pending lawsuits.
State Law requires every district have anti-bullying programs in place. Volusia officials said they couldn't give specifics about their programs because they vary from school to school.
"There may be a mention, may even say something in classes. But Dondre's case is a clear example that the spirit of that law is not being maintained," said Deloach.
Two of the four kids who bullied Dondre were suspended and charged with misdemeanor battery and disorderly conduct. They will likely be placed in a diversion program.
The teacher retired in the middle of an investigation, to determine whether he did enough to stop it.
WFTV
