School Bans Rainbow Dash Backpack for Bullied Kid

[Captain Jebediah 12]

Haven't they ever heard of to just be yourself or it's great to be different. So what if I wear a Rainbow Dash backpack, and get bullied (probably won't happen but you never know), will they do the same thing. School, when has it ever made something good to me.

[Zhortac 1,475]

What a fantastic message to send the youth of today! Way to go school! Show them that victims are to blame for everything wrong! Show them, that beating on people just means they are asking to get beat on! Then, when the school gets shot up, you can blame them some more!

 

....

 

/sarcasm

 

WTF is wrong with these idiots? Kid has every right to wear whatever he/she wants, as long as it's not some blood soaked, drug endorsing, or sexual image.

 

Shit, that'd be like if I walked into a store, held it up at gun point, robbed it blind, and the police said "well, you shouldn't of had money in the till." And people wonder why our school system sucks? Even worse, if the kids doing the bullying have like rich parents who get blowjobs from the administrators of the district for money, they probably won't get in any trouble period.

[M'aiq the Liar 5,804]

This wouldn't happen to be in the same state that banned clothing that has the american flag on it for it being racist now is it?

[DaReaper 1,945]

I read thos while i can see the schools side...it's definity the wrong way to go about it. Them kids need to be punished they are going about it the wrong way for sure. Dint punish the kid thats already being punished by bullying

[MagicalStarRain 599]

First the kid who tried to commit suicide and now this?  What's going on with the schools there?

 

I kind of get the feeling that this was a reaction to that kid who tried to commit suicide.  If it is, then it's the wrong way to go about it.

Edited March 12, 2014 by MagicalStarRain

[Nine 707]

it's not my intention to play devil's advocate but schoolboards are frequently legally hamstrung out of doing the right thing in favor of doing the safe thing.

 

Parents are *nightmarish headaches* for schools because every parent knows that their kid isn't the problem, and they will burn the resources and time of public schools fighting for their kid at the faintest whiff of conflict, no matter the circumstance. My mother's a teacher and her brother is a principal, and I've heard lots of bitter complaining about parents who just cannot hear that *their* child is the problem.

 

But those parents often do have legal recourse to cause headaches for public school administrators because that's just the environment they have to operate in. I am going to guess that their banning the backpack is less about showcasing hate for colorful pony show, and more about desperately trying to avoid a repeat of the Micheal Morones story (the 11 year old who tried to kill himself over the same thing). Because if it did, then the school would be in a world of shit for not doing everything it could to prevent the tragedy.

 

When you're damned if you do and damned if you don't, all you can do is try to minimize the damning. Likely what happened is that the bullies were talked to as well, but that the victim was given a "for the love of god please don't do something that practically guarantees you'll be bullied for it" warning to protect the school.

 

It's not right. But "right" has gotten to be a pretty meaningless concept in public school administration anyway.

[Simon 4,557]

@@Nine,I think the big problem here is that schools handle things in such a terrible way, even when they are in those types of situations.  In this instance, for example, they didn't just encourage him not to bring it or politely ask the family to leave it at home for a few days while they deal with it, they sent a letter to the parents telling him not to bring it, and then when they complained obviously confused as to why their child is the one getting restrictions over being bullied, their response was that it was "a trigger" for bullying and that it needed to be left at home to 'prevent further disruptions in the classroom'... even in a bad situation, they managed to make it worse by taking every chance they could get to make the family feel like he was in fact being treated like crap by the school.

[SveciaDash 365]

This makes me think so much more on how lucky I am as a human being, to not have to be raised in the USA. Im glad I had the luxury to grow up in a country that allows a person to be free and can choose to do what he wants with his life. Thank you very much Scandinavia. 

 

now now... im not anti USA but I really really really think the US is the country americans claim it to be.

[Nine 707]

@Simon,

I don't have the letter they sent so I don't know how good a job they did or didn't do of explaining themselves. Maybe their PR does leave something to be desired (I don't know) but it probably wouldn't have changed their decision regardless.

 

The only takeaway people should have from my post is that it's very likely the school is just damage controlling a situation under a system that doesn't make doing the right thing an economic decision.

 

It *sucks* and it is *horrible* but it's a fundamental problem, and ultimately local school staff are the ones left trying to manage it.

 

edit: I guess I don't know how to do the @ thing

Edited March 12, 2014 by Nine

[Dainbow Rash 80]

I'm starting to think public schools are really bucked up... It's like they want the kid to get bullied more

[-FlutterSnipe- 215]

If it were the army we would ban all non uniform backpacks. Stupid but more fair then singling out a kid who was already being singled out. Now the school has effectively told the bully that his actions are capable of eliminating things he doesn't like... Yeah I am sure that will lead to an improvement on his behavior.

[Ardhacandra 133]

 

 

Oh yeah it makes tons of sense... I think that logic could solve so many of the world's problems... it's not the murderer's fault for killing people, it's the stupid victim's fault for being in front of the bullet... if only we could get people to stop standing in front of bullets and having things worth stealing there would be no crime...

 

Ahah xD I love sarcasm..

 

On topic: I worked on a elemantary school for one and a half year.. And yeah, never again! And it's because of stupid things like this (And know it all parents) that I don't wanna do this anymore. Some schools are better than others, but, people just don't seem to understand kids in general..

[BinaryPony 120]

Why does this sound oddly familiar in concept?

[Moved to Elsewhere 11,331]

The school is going at this all wrong. They shouldn't let the kid fear expressing what he likes. Isn't that hypocritical since schools teach howto express yourself? Also, they should punish the bullies, you know the ones that caused this. They'd probably still bully the kid even if he didn't bring it. If anything, the school should encourage him to bring it so he can show the bullies he's not afraid of them. That way they'd eventually stop.

[Scootalove 10,692]

So, instead of consulting a punishment for the bullies who were bullying the kid the school decides to ban the backpack that the kid has the right to bring to school? I can see why schools are really bad at handling bullying situations.

 

The school's administration should know how to handle things, but they think of a solution that is backwards.

[GenderIsAnIllusion 2,178]

Freedom of expression is a main foundation for our nation. This act is basically saying "fuck you America, we are an intolerant school that cares nothing about our nations most basic beliefs."

 

Also punishing the victim only makes the bullying he will receive worse!

[Andaasonsan 3,205]

Why does this sound oddly familiar in concept?

An important difference: the kids wearing the flag shirts were doing it to be dicks.

[TwilightDreamer 69]

I've nothing to say but: School who pulled this god-damn fallacy, go to damn hell for all I care.

 

The school is not supposed to have any overwhelming control over their students and imply what they should do; taking a Rainbow Dash backpack to school is the kid's own choice and nobody else's and he was being bullied so the school should've just gotten the full story down first before pulling that red light.

 

A petition to end bullying once and for all and to report any schools that overlook bullying should be made.

[Sir.Flutter Hooves 2,953]

Hello,

 

It seems like another incident of bullying has come up again in the brony fandom, and this time it's a little boy who is forced not to wear his Rainbow Dash back pack after he was bullied because of it.

 

Here is the artcile: http://www.wric.com/story/24951935/school-wont-let-bullied-boy-bring-my-little-pony-bag-to-class

 

Apparently the boy was bullied for a long time because of his pony back pack, his parents went to the school, and the school is now forcing the boy to stop wearing the back pack.

 

I think this is just horirble, and isn't it illegal? The boy is just wearing what he wants, and if he likes ponies what's the big deal?

 

I want to hear your opinion on the matter, do you think it's wrong they did this, and do you think they made the right choice?

[man dude man 555]

(boy gets bullied) school responds by bullying him further? Damn, you need to deal with the insensitive kids, not the boys backpack, what happens when one other kid comes to school wearing a girly shirt and gets put on blast for it? are the just going to keep banning clothing that the majority of other children don't accept?

[Steel Accord 6,660]

I think the little boy should definitely have a choice, that being said, if he's being bullied for it, it's certainly not healthy.

 

However, whether or not he's allowed is the parent's decision not the school's.

[nanobyte 27]

i think it was absolutely awful that they did that, but unfortunately i am not surprised. the public school system's stance on bullying is incredibly half-assed, and they'd rather the victims change themselves than fix  the actual issue.

 

and the boy should also get to choose whether or not he gets to wear a harmless backpack to school. it is his choice and he is not harming anybody. since he is being harmed, it is the school's responsibility to stop the kids bullying him, not his.

[Sugar Cube 4,843]

@@Sir.Flutter Hooves,

 

Just letting you know that we already had a thread on the matter in Sugarcube Corner, so I merged your topic with this one. Thanks.

[SomariFeyWright 776]

 

I'm honestly getting thoroughly sick of crap like this. This isn't a means of remedying the problem. This is victim-shaming.

 

THIS IS F**KING VICTIM-SHAMING

 

Quite frankly, I'm disappointed in the school for this poor decision, and I only hope they can get off their self-righteous asses and see that they're going after the wrong party here.

 

Though, knowing society, they likely won't.

[Kulstor 254]

It seems more like they are not really trying to treat the cause, the bullying, how to cut down and prevent it and taking steps to offer options to those who are being bullied.   They'd rather take the easy way and just have the victim change themselves.   This will not help stop bullying at all.  They'll find some other reason to bully those that get bullied.