Parents rally to fight bullying in Crown Heights

<p>Parents in Crown Heights rallied Monday to fight against bullying in schools.&nbsp;</p>

News 12 Staff

Oct 2, 2017, 9:13 PM

Updated 2,390 days ago

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Parents in Crown Heights rallied Monday to fight against bullying in schools.
Noemi Espinal says her 15-year-old son is getting beaten up and abused at Brooklyn Music and Theater High School. She says her son is becoming depressed and is ready to drop out.
"They say like 'I'm going to kill you' or 'I'm going to do something'," Espinal says. "He cannot eat lunch, he cannot concentrate in the school."
Another parent, Benjamin Greene, says kids threw ice at his 13-year-old son and that school officials disregarded the bullying.
"They cover it up first, they try to talk about it, they downplay it," he says.
Parents are calling on the Department of Education and schools to do more to prevent bullying. They are suggesting the school implement help hotlines, counselors and speakers.
School officials issued a statement that said, "We take reports of bullying seriously, have detailed protocols and robust programs in place and are providing schools with additional training to ensure all students are provided with a safe and inclusive learning environment."
Parents say they don't want to wait until another deadly incident occurs, pointing to the recent stabbing at the Urban Assembly School for Wildlife Conservation in the Bronx, which was reportedly over bullying.


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