Samantha Mereifield: Bullying has no place in our schools and perpetrators should be punished

To The Daily Sun,

I’m writing to ask for help in bringing awareness to the community of Franklin in the matter of bullying inside the Franklin Middle School and it being unresolved.

I am a single mother with a 12-year-old daughter I have pulled from this school due to a group of girls who continuously go around not just bullying my daughter but other children, too. The safest thing about this is my daughter is home not receiving the education she needs and not being allowed social interaction with other children, as this girl and group that follows her is not only allowed at school to continue but also in our community, on our streets, and nothing is being done, no consequences being put in place.

I have been fighting this and in May of last year filed several police reports and just recently tried getting a protective order so my daughter can return back to school and start being a normal 12-year-old instead of locked up in her house. It seems to me that the only one receiving consequences from this unruly child’s behaviors is my daughter, and that’s unfair. I feel as I am in this fight alone as I am the only one who truly cares for my child’s safety as the people we put our trust in to protect our children are failing.

One in 20 children between ages 12 and 14 either attempt suicide or commit suicide each year due to in-school bullying and it not being handled. This is one too many. What are we doing as a community or as parents or school facilities to protect our children? It is our job to do so. So I am asking for this to be published to raise awareness and stop this.

Samantha Mereifield

Franklin