School That Allowed Students to Bully Autistic Kid Is Reprehensible

on January 23, 2012 at 3:34 PM

school bus We expect bullies to target the weak and the small. That kind of cowardice is what makes them bullies in the first place, hence the classic refrain: "Why don't you pick on somebody your own size?" But bullies who go after kids with autism ... that's the lowest form of cowardice I can think of.

The Elkton Middle School student who viciously beat 11-year-old Kaleb Kula at his Maryland bus stop falls into this category. So do the kids who stood around cheering for Kula's attacker, yelling things like "Yo, beat the sh**t out of him!" Disgusting.

What they did next, however, was just plain stupid.

Somebody (none of the kids involved in the incident have been identified) uploaded that horrible footage to Facebook.

The question is, why? I'd like to think that maybe one of the kids had an attack of conscience and posted the video because he secretly wanted to get caught. Because the alternatives just make the entire episode even more disturbing: Either the bully/bullies were proud of beating up Kula, or they truly had such little regard for their victim as a human being that they saw nothing wrong with treating the footage as entertainment. "Check this out, so funny!"

If Kaleb Kula was my son, I'd be sick at heart over this shocking abuse. Especially since this has happened before: Kula's parents say their son has been bullied for years, but despite their repeated requests for help, the school never did anything to stop it.

If those claims are true, the school needs to be held responsible for Kaleb Kula's pain and suffering. That's an unforgivable level of neglect. Who's to say they won't let this happen again? And how do they plan on making this up to the Kula family?

At least the police are on the case, now -- the boy who hit Kula in the video has been charged as a juvenile with second-degree assault.

But Kula will never forget his horrible experience, not if his comments are any indication:

"I'm going to try to put this behind me, but then it's going to come running back in front of me and confront me again. That's what I think will happen. It's like a groundhog trying to run from its shadow."

Heartbreaking.

Do you think the school should be held responsible for this terrible bullying incident?

Image via Gerry Dincher/Flickr

About the author Jacqueline Burt

has written for numerous magazines, newspapers, and websites. She is easily bored and often tired, so she requires constant entertainment to keep her awake. Dance, Monkey! Dance!

Filed Under: bullies, in the news, special needs

Comments (17)

OkieGirl74

on Jan 23, 2012 at 3:55 PM

The school can only be held responsible to a certain extent. If this happened at the bus stop in the morning then the kids were not even on school grounds...However, if the parents had complained about bullying that occured while on school property then obviously it should have been dealt with which might have prevented this abuse

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aeamathis

on Jan 23, 2012 at 4:30 PM

You didn't show any evidence that the school was at fault. School's are not solely responsible for stopping bullying; it's an endemic that goes far beyond their powers. It's also very difficult to stop; teachers and administrators cannot see and hear everything every student says and does every day. They also cannot punish hearsay; the action has to be witnessed. The blame lies with the child and the parents and the other students who were encouraging the assault.

suziejax

on Jan 23, 2012 at 5:58 PM

YES they should do something with those mean kids to some point

This is just aweful what happend to Kula :(

prplecat

on Jan 23, 2012 at 6:03 PM

Send those mean kids to my son's high school. The kids there have a habit of whooping anyone who targets a special-needs child.

jessicasmom1

on Jan 23, 2012 at 6:13 PM

what a shame! this is why I still walk my child to the bus stop

Nonmember comment from leah barber

on Jan 23, 2012 at 6:47 PM

My little sister is six yrs old and autistic she goes to public school. So far she has not been bullied yet. But still i am affraid for her wen she starts high school. I no its a bit childish but i think if sum1 ever hurt her i would b in prison. But i could just not stand by and watch such things happen to her. If anything ever happened to her bcuz of bulling lile suicide i would lose my self. Even just some kids who beat her. Ive been bullied myself in high school and ive tryed to kill myself several times over it and i dropped out of school for it. But now i am 20 yrs old and glad to say i pulled my self up with the help of my friends family and inlaws. I am back in high school at 20yrs old getting my diploma and have a job as well. I am married and have a beautiful daughter. And being back in high school is no fun i still get bullied but wen i do i stand my ground and laugh at them bcuz i no tht i am doing great and im a good person! I have an autistic kid im some of my classes and he gets bullied everyday and i stand up for him along with my teacher as most ppl wont. Our school farwell high school,farwell michigan has just come with a group called tye power 100 its for anti bullying and i am glad to say i am part of it! We are also working with swartz creek High school, mi to stand up against bullying. I reccomend this school that this happened at start a Anti bullying group and stand up against it as well!

Nonmember comment from Lorilee harms

on Jan 23, 2012 at 6:55 PM

It is a real shame that this has happened. Being a mother of an autistic child this is always one of my fears. I myself would be holding both the school and the other kids parents responsible. Even though these kids were at the bus stop the school is still responsible especially if there have been previous reports of bulling. I know some people think that the childs parents should walk that kid to the bus stop but one of the most important things that we can teach these children is independence. Apparently the other kids need some home training! If this continues for the autistic child then his parents should be looking for an alternative school at the home schools expense!

Millie59

on Jan 23, 2012 at 7:33 PM

I think the school should be held responsible. I had the same problem with my son. the principals told me boys will be boys. I told him , if he did nothing I as going to go to director of sp.needs , I did and nothing happened. So I told my son the next person that does it, you hit them back. He had been bullied by these same kids since elementary. One day they called him a spic and he lost it. He beat the stuff at of his biggest offender. Never again did anybody bug him. He got suspended for a week. The others for two weeks. Sometimes we tell our kids don't fight for fear of something happening to them. I think if we teach them how to fight back, it ends the bulling. I also told him never to use violence again. He hasn't ever again. it stopped him from feeling scared or taking all the verbal, pushing soving and put downs.

Caera

on Jan 24, 2012 at 1:04 AM

I'm curious to know why an 11-year-old with autism, who has complained of bullying issues in the past, was not accompanied by an adult to the bus stop. That seems pretty neglectful of the parents to me.

Even if the parents couldn't be there because of work or something, get a neighbor or other relative to wait the 10-15 minutes with him.