The parents spoke at last week's board of education meeting, the first since police charged a wrestler with assaulting a teammate who says he was bullied for years.
ROBBINSVILLE -- The parents of two former Robbinsville High School students say their children were bullied for years at the school, and one said she received little help from the school district.
The parents spoke at last week's board of education meeting, the first since a special meeting in early January where an alleged assault and bullying incident on the wrestling team became public.
The wrestling incident led to criminal charges against a senior wrestler, Dylan James, who was also removed from the team.
Robbinsville High School. File photo. Karen Betts said her daughter was bullied for years while on the cheerleading squad, before graduating in 2014, and attended the meeting due to the wrestling incident.
"I stand here now and I should have come forward then," Betts said, referring to speaking publicly at a board meeting.
She said bullying at Robbinsville High School is not a recent thing.
"It's been going on here for a long time and unfortunately it's part of the high school experience," Betts said to the board. "How did this slip past all of you?"
Some of the comments were aimed directly at Robbinsville Superintendent Steven Mayer.
Mayer did not address the allegations at the meeting, but said in an interview with NJ Advance Media that the characterizations of how the incidents were dealt with are not consistent with how the district reacts to such reports.
"The stories that were told (at the meeting) are not representative of our heart or our attitude about the value of every student in our school community," Mayer said.
"We always have and always will take every allegation of bullying very seriously, and will always follow-up to make sure that every student feels safe and supported as valued members of our community," Mayer said.
Mayor Dave Fried said he's been hearing from more parents since the wrestling incident came to light. "And I know there are people that are concerned."
Fried said he hopes the school district "brings someone into address this on a more global level."
At the meeting, before the public comments, Mayer announced the district did hire a consulting firm to complete training for coaches and athletes that will "really get underneath what it looks like to have a health school culture and to treat each other with respect."
Later, Betts gave a nearly blow-by-blow account of the abuse she says her minority daughter was subjected to as a cheerleader.
Betts said her daughter was bullied and harassed by numerous cheerleaders, and the abuse eventually then moved to cyber bullying on ocial media and at one point became physical when her personal care products were tampered with. And their house and cars were egged too, she said
The incidents caused her and her husband to start reporting incidents to school officials, and then to police. And then they hired a lawyer.
During it all, no one was removed from the team, and only one student suffered just one day of suspension, Betts said.
Betts acknowledged there was nothing the school board could do for her or her daughter now, but she begged the board, "Please take take seriously what you have in front of you."
Leslie Notor also spoke at the meeting, saying she was happy to hear the district is hiring a consultant. Her son was a wrestler.
"My son was terrorized at this school for four years so I am thrilled that something is finally happening," Notor said.
Shannon Mackey, whose son Braydon Mackey was the victim in the James' incident, also spoke, reading from a prepared statement that summarized her displeasure at how the district handled her son's bullying case.
Mackey and Betts said other families initially said they would speak at last week's meeting, but backed out at the last minute, saying they feared retribution.
The Mercer County Prosecutor's Office and Robbinsville police announced last month they filed aggravated assault and related charges against a 17-year-old student, but did not identify him because he is a juvenile.
The suspect is accused of punching a juvenile victim in the chest and using a "speed jump rope with ball bearings" to whip the victim numerous times on school property, the prosecutor's office said.
James identified himself publicly when he appeared at a January school board meeting to appeal his removal from the team. He also apologized for his actions.
Braydon Mackey, a sophomore, spoke at the same January meeting, telling the board he was beaten and bullied by James and it was the latest in a two-year pattern of harassment that ultimately led to him quitting the wrestling team.
Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.