Bullying happens at schools, and some kids --such as special needs students--are perfect targets. These students usually keep the bullying to themselves because they are afraid, they are embarrassed, or because people do not believe them. They often come to the point of feeling like nobody cares.

My daughter, a special needs student in seventh grade at Jordan Middle School, has been bullied since fourth grade. She has been punched in the face and thrown hard on the ground to the point of being taken to the nurse's office in a wheelchair. When the bullying became unmanageable, she went into depression. She has become suicidal two times, after being called "fake Mexican" and other derogatory names such as retarded, stupid, ugly face; she also found out that a child asked other kids not to hang out with her because she is different. Luckily, we the family have been able to get her emergency help on time, so she is still alive; the next time we might not be so lucky.

The times my child and I have asked the schools for help, we have been told that perhaps she is looking for it, that they cannot guarantee that it won’t happen again, that there was not a recorder to see if the bullying occurred so they cannot believe her, that she had a crush on the kid who bullied her, that she probably misinterpreted it – but can a child misinterpret a punch in the face or hearing some calling her retarded and stupid? It is time to stop making excuses for the bullies and protect the victims.

It is time to adopt strong policies and an effective anti-bullying program across the school district to stop bullying, and to give serious consequences and counseling the aggressors so they stop bullying. Tell Dr. Skelly, Palo Alto School Superintendent, Charles Weis, Superintended of Santa Clara County Office of Education, and school board members to STOP THE BULLYING NOW across the district and protect all students, but especially students with special needs who cannot speak or stand up for themselves, adopt an anti-bullying program, and form an anti-bullying task force. Every child needs a bullying-free environment to learn and stay health.

Thanks for signing,

Lourdes Jimenez