Daughter's black eye prompts mom to call for end to alleged school bullying

A P.E.I. mother has filed a complaint with police andSummersideIntermediate School (SIS) after she allegesher 14-year-old daughter was assaulted earlier this week.

Amanda Gallant said she believes another student intentionally hit her daughter Sara MacKay at the school Monday.

Sara said she was in the school's student services centre having lunch with friendswhen another student approached her, grabbed her arm and elbowedher in the eye.

"It's still sore and it's hard to see," Sara said.

'Physical and verbal abuse'

Gallant allegesthis isjust the latest incident in ongoingphysicaland verbalabuse of her daughter by other students.

"In grade sevenI was pushed around into lockers, in walls.In grade eight I was pushed down a flight of stairs, still being bashed into walls.They punched me in the gut as well," Sara said.

Last month,Sara called home crying saying shewas being called "slut, a whore and a fat whale" by fellow students, said Gallant.

"My brain tells me to ignore it, but my body tells me I want to fight back but I can't," said Sara.

Ongoing investigation

Gallant said after the incident on Monday, she made a report to the police andSummersidepolice confirmed to CBC they are investigating analleged assault.

SIS Principal Doug Doyle said the schoolinvestigated Gallant's complaintand that he has spoken to two witnesses to Monday's incident.

Through those discussions, Doyle said he identified the student he believes was involved and the school is following protocol to handle the situation.

He did not specifywhether bullying had happened or what action was taken, although he did say he did not consider what had happened "malicious."

"We don't want any bullying," he said, adding the school takes any incidents of bullying very seriously.

Doyle said that any incident brought to the staff's attention is investigated, and that he's considering askingthe school board to installcameras at the schoolto help investigate any complaints that might come up in the future.

CBCcontactedthe Public Schools Branch but they saidthey wouldnot be commentingon the matter.

'It's not going to get any better'

Even though Sara is moving on to high school in the fall, Gallant worries the problems her daughter is experiencing will follow herto her new school.

"I get upset but I have to keep my cool because she's almost out of that school but it's not going to get any better because she'll be moving onto Three Oaks with the same group of kids," she said.

The alleged abuse has gotten so bad, said Gallant, thather daughter sometimes is too afraid to go to school.

"My daughter's to the point where she does not want to be in school, and that's a sin," she said.

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