As if Levi and his family don't have enough difficulties ~ this makes my blood BOIL!!! ~ ~ Sooz

Autistic Teen Bullied, Community Disgustingly Agrees That He Deserves It (VIDEO)
Author: T. Steelman November 25, 2013 4:38 am

In a small Iowa town, this autistic teen is being bullied by classmates. The adults in the situation all seem to think this is perfectly fine. It’s not. Photo screen-captured from WHO-TV 13 video footage.

In a suburb of Des Moines, an autistic teen is being bullied by his classmates. And everyone but his family seems to be okay with that. Even the supposedly adult school officials. Even after the bullies posted a video online as part of their campaign to humiliate the boy.

This autistic teen has disabilities but his bullies don’t care.

13-year-old Levi Null has been bullied for years. Because of his Asperger’s Syndrome and ADHD, he sometimes does things he can’t control, like run into things or twitching uncontrollably. In an enlightened school, teachers would keep an eye out for bullying of such a child. But the teachers of Melcher-Dallas School (who call themselves the Saints, yet!?) just turn their backs on this autistic teen. When kids can hit another student in class, there is a serious issue with the lack of adult supervision.

Levi’s mother, Dawn Simmons, blames the teachers as well as the students who bully her son:


The school principal has no empathy for Levi’s situation.

The principal of Melcher-Dallas is Josh Ehn. He seems to think that this is all down to Levi. According to Ehn, the boy just needs to “take ownership of this” and rely on other students to stand up for him. All well and good if we were talking about a normal student. But this is an autistic teen. He doesn’t have the emotional tools to do this. So it falls on the adults at the school to deal with the matter. Something they are woefully unable or unwilling to do.

Even the school superintendent abdicates any responsibility. Bob Lepley let his wife speak for him — except to say that he stands by the principal. Oh, well done. Way to hide behind a non-response. It would seem as though there are no responsible adults involved here, save for Levi’s mother.

Other adults in the community are just as callous toward this autistic teen.

Parents of the other kids certainly are not behaving like adults. The father of the boy who posted the video seems to think that the autistic teen deserves whatever he gets:


His son was disciplined for posting the video but not for bullying. Because the video “failed to meet the criteria” for bullying. According to their own definition, it most certainly does. They define bullying as conduct based on an “actual or perceived trait” and that creates an “objectively hostile school environment.” I guess if it’s not hostile for them, then it’s perfectly fine.

Comments on the original story posted on WHO-TV’s website fall along similar lines. One complained that Levi “called my nephew a nasty name” and was proud of the nephew for hitting Levi in response. Another states that he thinks Levi is responsible for his own bullying because he “could probably control” his actions. Yet another commented that the boy’s dog looked like it was not “well cared for.” What an ugly attempt to paint the family as dysfunctional so as to justify this autistic teen’s torment. With so-called adults like this involved, no wonder the students at Melcher-Dallas bully other kids. What wonderful role models.

The teachers and school officials need to provide an example.

Levi’s mother said that two of the teens have apologized, saying that they didn’t know that their actions would be so harmful to the boy. That’s the thing: kids often don’t realize that when they bully someone, it does real damage. When they bully a child with disabilities — like this autistic teen — it can be even worse, because they may not have the emotional ability to deal with it. The adults in this situation are acting like children. It’s time they stood up and provided guidance and an example for these kids.

They can begin with reading the information about bullying on the Autism Speaks website. Maybe then they can put on their adult panties and step up to deal with the problem. If they can’t, they should be fired.

Here is the report from WHO-TV 13 of Des Moines:


http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/11/25/autistic-teen-bullied-adults-approve/

I haven't responded to this because I didn't know what to say and I still don't. I am horrified. How dare the principal say that "it comes down to the kids"!
It's a sad day when a child like this cannot count on the adults in his life to stand up for and with him, instead relying on other kids.