Special Needs Child Victim of Bully

Mother Says Instead of Playing at Recess, the School Told the Boy to Hide in the School Office to Avoid a Belligerent Bully. She Claims the School is Not Doing Anything to Discipline the Bully

By most accounts Garrett Wilson is a typical ten year old. He likes BMX bikes, tech decks and rock and roll music.

Though he lives in the mountains, Garrett is a 4th grader at Phelan elementary school down the hill because Wrightwood doesn't have a special education department. Garrett was diagnosed with autism at age three.

Though he's been mainstreamed at school, Garrett has spent this week at home, physically ill his mother says because of alleged bullying by another student.

"Garrett is being, basically terrorized by another little boy. I've made phone calls to the school, to the counselors, everything to try and stop it, and they keep telling me, 'Trust us. Let us handle it," and I do, but everyday it's the same thing," according to Lori Wilson, Garrett's mother.

Wilson described the bullying as kicking and shoving, along with foul language and derogatory remarks about her son's autism.

"He gathers around Garrett, and circles him in a song. There's a song with dirty words. Cuss words that Garrett knows better than to say, and when Garrett tries to leave he will hold on to him and grab him," according to Lori Wilson, Garrett's mother

Garrett says he spends most school days "hiding" from the 5th grader allegedly bullying him.

"It breaks my heart, cause,I don't like it. He's a mean kid. It breaks my heart when he says the bad words to me, because I know I'm not those words, I know it," says Garrett Wilson, bully victim.

A spokeswoman for the Snowline School District declined to talk about Wilson's claims but noted the district would intervene if anti bullying policies were violated.

Wilson says she and other parents have reported bullying to the school but with no resolve. Now she faces discipline for her son being truant.

"I'm trying to ignore him, but he just keeps doing it. He just keeps bullying me over and over again," according to Garrett Wilson, bully victim.

Lori Wilson's concern is not only for "her" child, but for other young people as well.

"It gets worse in junior high, high school, and we're hearing now in the news, in college too. Kids are committing suicide over it. It needs to stop now, and parents need to be held responsible," according to Lori Wilson, Garrett's mother.

Wilson plans to address the board of education at their next meeting on Tuesday.

She has yet to hear back from the Director of Special Services for the school which oversees the special education programs.

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