An Indiana mother says her son was bullied so severely that she pulled him out of school to address mental health concerns.Roxie West says her 14-year-old son Joey Dyer was bullied during his eighth-grade year at Connersville Middle School. She says his mental health, self-confidence and grades all took a hit the last several months. “It scared him a little bit and I definitely think it’s impacted him,” West said. West’s son told her about the first incident several months ago after school.”There was a student that had made a poem making fun of children whose parents passed away,” she said. Dyer lost his dad when he was in the fifth grade.”I was quite broken after that one. That hurt a lot,” he said. “I definitely felt like I was losing control of myself.”West said her son came home with similar stories for months, threatening comments made toward him, notes left on his locker and minor injuries from several incidents involving other classmates. “It was constantly the same answer with each incident,” West said. “The boys were horse playing around, there was no ill intent, the boys seemed remorseful.”She contacted police twice, once when her son said a student assaulted him with a compass and a second time when he came home with a plate and tongue depressor that both said “RIP Joey.”According to a Fayette County Sheriff’s Department incident report, two students in gardening club wrote the message. The boys claimed it was a joke making light of Joey leaving the school for virtual school. A teacher told police she saw the messages and told the boys they were inappropriate. Dyer said he would usually laugh off comments made by classmates, but said they hurt.”I wouldn’t go near people that I usually always talk to because I never knew who was behind it,” he said. “I realized that it was definitely changing my personality a lot.”His mom said Joey was sinking into a depression.”The school spends more time with my child than I do, being a single mom, being a working mom,” West said through tears. “I send him to school to be protected and they’re failing.”She said she increased his therapy sessions the last several and withdrew him from school early April out of concern for his mental health. He will finish the school year in a virtual learning program. “I thank God every day that he’s still here, that he didn’t give up and that he didn’t give in to the bullying,” she said. After withdrawing her son from the middle school, West got a semicolon tattoo, a widely used symbol against depression and suicide. “Strength, mental awareness, getting through,” she said. ” It’s not a period. It’s not the end.”Fayette County Schools declined an interview, but say in a statement that “Fayette County Schools disputes the allegations. The Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act prohibits the School Corporation from releasing personally identifiable student information. Therefore, the School Corporation is legally unable to provide further comment.”
An Indiana mother says her son was bullied so severely that she pulled him out of school to address mental health concerns.
Roxie West says her 14-year-old son Joey Dyer was bullied during his eighth-grade year at Connersville Middle School.
She says his mental health, self-confidence and grades all took a hit the last several months.
“It scared him a little bit and I definitely think it’s impacted him,” West said.
West’s son told her about the first incident several months ago after school.
“There was a student that had made a poem making fun of children whose parents passed away,” she said.
Dyer lost his dad when he was in the fifth grade.
“I was quite broken after that one. That hurt a lot,” he said. “I definitely felt like I was losing control of myself.”
West said her son came home with similar stories for months, threatening comments made toward him, notes left on his locker and minor injuries from several incidents involving other classmates.
“It was constantly the same answer with each incident,” West said. “The boys were horse playing around, there was no ill intent, the boys seemed remorseful.”
She contacted police twice, once when her son said a student assaulted him with a compass and a second time when he came home with a plate and tongue depressor that both said “RIP Joey.”
According to a Fayette County Sheriff’s Department incident report, two students in gardening club wrote the message. The boys claimed it was a joke making light of Joey leaving the school for virtual school. A teacher told police she saw the messages and told the boys they were inappropriate.
Dyer said he would usually laugh off comments made by classmates, but said they hurt.
“I wouldn’t go near people that I usually always talk to because I never knew who was behind it,” he said. “I realized that it was definitely changing my personality a lot.”
His mom said Joey was sinking into a depression.
“The school spends more time with my child than I do, being a single mom, being a working mom,” West said through tears. “I send him to school to be protected and they’re failing.”
She said she increased his therapy sessions the last several and withdrew him from school early April out of concern for his mental health. He will finish the school year in a virtual learning program.
“I thank God every day that he’s still here, that he didn’t give up and that he didn’t give in to the bullying,” she said.
After withdrawing her son from the middle school, West got a semicolon tattoo, a widely used symbol against depression and suicide.
“Strength, mental awareness, getting through,” she said. ” It’s not a period. It’s not the end.”
Fayette County Schools declined an interview, but say in a statement that “Fayette County Schools disputes the allegations. The Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act prohibits the School Corporation from releasing personally identifiable student information. Therefore, the School Corporation is legally unable to provide further comment.”
