Anxiety in community after troubling case of bullying at Mission school

MISSION (NEWS 1130) — There is anger and anxiety in the community after a troubling case of bullying at a school in Mission, which has led to two arrests and left the victim recovering emotionally.

Supports are being offered to anyone involved in or affected by the attack at École Heritage Park Middle School, which was caught on a video showing two girls beating another teen who sits defenseless on the ground while others watch and cheer.

RELATED: Two girls arrested after violent attack at Mission school, says victim’s mom

The victim, who identifies as a non-binary lesbian, is doing okay, trying to stay positive, according to their mother.

“They had nightmares the first night, but since then have been doing okay and have been trying to hold as positive an attitude as they can,” she tells NEWS 1130.

The chair of Mission’s District Parent Advisory Council says stress levels are high in schools after the incident, though she can’t say if violence has been increasing.

“What I hear from parents is that there is definitely an overall increase in the anxiety and stress level of everybody, for the parents and the students as well,” says Cheryl Blondin.

But she stresses that parents can get help in standing up for the needs of their children.

“I want parents to know that they are not alone and that we at the Mission DPAC are here. If they are struggling to advocate for their child, they can reach out to us.”

Blondin adds that the DPAC has open lines of communication with the school district and that when issues arise they are addressed.

Mission RCMP confirms two 14 years olds were arrested and subsequently released with court appearances in March. @MissionRCMP are recommending criminal charges of Assault for one of the girls and Assault & Uttering Threats for the other. Full statement: @CityNewsVAN @NEWS1130 https://t.co/H1GPj3H3aG pic.twitter.com/Wc2bT9hCOt

— Ashley Burr (@AshleyBurr_) January 15, 2021

Mission RCMP confirmed two 14-year-olds were arrested and released with a court appearance in March. Mounties are recommending criminal charges of assault for one and assault and uttering threats for the other.

Support offered, some parents feel not enough

In a letter posted on the district’s website, the Mission Public Schools Board of Education says supports are being offered to anyone who needs it.

“The Board is appalled by the assault of a student at École Heritage Park Middle School, earlier this week. We take this incident very seriously. The School District does not tolerate bullying, harassment, or violence, and will follow our protocols to deal with the serious situation,” writes Chair Tracy Loffler.

“Everyone involved in and affected by this confrontation is being offered supports, and District Staff is working with the school, the Ministry of Education, the RCMP, and community agencies as they investigate this matter.”

Loffler says violence, assault and personal attacks are unacceptable at any time.

“Mission Public Schools is committed to reviewing its policies and procedures to ensure we have a safe, equitable and inclusive educational system for ALL students. We will continue to review options that will assist in educating students to know and understand that there is no room in our school district or society for hate speech or physical violence.”

The letter was also posted on the Facebook page of the Heritage Park Middle School PAC, where comments suggest some parents feel the district has not done enough to prevent bullying at schools.

“Why do they say they won’t tolerate it until they are forced to put out a PR statement? Learn to work the front end instead of making excuses on the back end,” reads one comment.

“This goes on, on almost a daily basis… nothing changes, nothing gets done!” reads another. “[When] nothing changes and children continue to get assaulted on school property, what exactly do you expect? Our children are NOT feeling SAFE at SCHOOL PERIOD!”

For her part, B.C. Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside calls the incident “extremely disturbing and distressing” and says her heart goes out to the families involved.

“All students deserve to feel safe and welcome at school,” she says, adding school districts have policies and codes of conduct around SOGI inclusion.

“I understand that there will be a process that addresses this particular situation. But we will continue to work very hard with teachers, with all of our education partners … to ensure that we are continuing to deliver an education around SOGI principles an to ensure that those are all well-understood and incorporated into everything that we’re doing in our education system.”

Whiteside is encouraging students to anonymously report bullying to the “Erase” program, “whether they are experiencing bullying themselves or whether they are witnessing bullying.”

-with files from Denise Wong, Martin MacMahon, Marcella Bernardo, and Ashley Burr