School’s Supposed Advice for 13-Year-Old Bully Victim: Get a Breast Reduction
“The lady on the phone said they could transfer my daughter and said her boobs were so large she will always get teased," the teen's mother said. "And the only suggestion she had for me is to have my daughter get a breast reduction.”
A mother who said she was told to get her sixth-grade daughter a breast reduction to combat her being bullied is understandably outraged.
Tammy Jackson says she phoned the school district to tell officials her 13-year-old daughter, Gabrielle, was being harassed by other students because of her large breasts. Jackson claims the person she spoke with gave the following advice regarding the middle school student: “The lady on the phone said they could transfer my daughter and said her boobs were so large she will always get teased. And the only suggestion she had for me is to have my daughter get a breast reduction.”
Clive Coleman, superintendent of Riverview Gardens School District, says the incident is being investigated. “But to be honest with you, I think it’s maybe a product of miscommunication,” he said.
Dig, Root, GrowNew York Daily News:
Bullies at Central Middle School in Moline Acres, near St. Louis, make lewd and insensitive comments about Gabrielle’s large breasts, her mother claimed.
Jackson expected the school to look into the issue and tell the suspects to stop humiliating the sixth-grade girl. Instead, Jackson said the blame was placed unfairly on Gabrielle, the victim, rather than the bullies.
…Jackson worries greatly that bullying early on in life can adversely affect that person for the rest of his or her life. She thinks that adults need to take a more active role in having open discussions with children about these issues.
This year, we’re all on shaky ground, and the need for independent journalism has never been greater. A new administration is openly attacking free press — and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Your support is more than a donation. It helps us dig deeper into hidden truths, root out corruption and misinformation, and grow an informed, resilient community.
Independent journalism like Truthdig doesn't just report the news — it helps cultivate a better future.
Your tax-deductible gift powers fearless reporting and uncompromising analysis. Together, we can protect democracy and expose the stories that must be told.
This spring, stand with our journalists.
Dig. Root. Grow. Cultivate a better future.
Donate today.
Editorial Cartoons
The new national security adviser has been called a "serial abuser," a "kiss-up, kick-down sort of guy" who "abuses his authority with little people."
Powerful and wealthy men who have felt free to impose their will on others, regardless of the pain they cause, may be in for a rude awakening.
What can a youth soccer game teach us? No matter the degree of injustice, we should say or do something.
In a survey of 50,000 teens, 70 percent reported abusive behavior largely targeting race, sexual orientation and immigration status.
You need to be a supporter to comment.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.