How far would you go to protect your child? Indiana mother Chelisa Grimes took a drastic step when she sent her gay son to school with a stun gun after administrators apparently didn't do enough to stop the bullying against him.
Yup, you read that right – a stun gun. But the most scandalous part is that Grimes stands by what she did, telling CNN that she would do it all over again, even though her son now faces expulsion. "I do not promote violence — not at all — but what is a parent to do when she has done everything that she felt she was supposed to do … at the school?" she said. Reportedly, Grimes told the school about the bullying more than 10 times.
Her son, Darnell "Dynasty" Young, says he was bullied for months and brought the weapon to school because he didn't feel safe. The 17-year-old pulled out the stun gun last month to scare off six students who had surrounded him at school and threatened to beat him up. He was arrested and taken away in handcuffs. Now, Young is waiting for his school district to announce their decision after an expulsion hearing they had last week.
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The school principal, Larry Yarell, said he believes part of the bullying is because of Young's flamboyant dressing. "If you wear female apparel, then kids are kids and they're going to say whatever it is that they want to say," Yarrell told The Star.
I have to say I don't, by any means, think Grimes made the right decision in providing her teenage son with a weapon. To bring to school nonetheless! It was irresponsible and extreme, not to mention damgerous to other kids.
BUT I also have to admit that reading the principal's snide and totally uncalled for remarks about Young's choice of clothing makes me think maybe Grimes had good reason to do what she did. After all, why should a parent have to report bullying over 10 times and still be continuously ignored or brushed aside? Aren't these schools aware of all the horrifying and tragic cases of late in which gay teens have committed suicide because they could no longer stand being tormented?
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Grimes should have definitely sought protection for her son in other ways if he felt genuinely threatened–whether by continuing to put pressure on the school for help or even contacting the local authorities. But no child should have to feel unsafe going to school every day and all school officials should be taking bullying extremely seriously, not just assuming it will go away on its own.
I just hope that the district takes into account the terrible psychological effects bullying can have on a young kid and decides against expelling him. In fact, maybe the people they should really be examining are the principal and teachers, who all just seemed to turn a blind eye to the teasing Young was suffering through every day.
Image via Jennuine Captures/flickr
