G-LtE™: GCHS Bullying

If anyone wants to see the latest news about Gilmer County, click H E R E to see the story on WBOY about Gilmer County High School Divided over Bullying Issue.

Story in written form and also video. But some say, “It didn’t happen”. “Famous last words”. Surprised? Wow, does this sound familiar for Gilmer County.

The mess this county is in, the news caste ought to come back and do a REAL close look at what else has been happening here to the people in Gilmer County. None of it is good I might add.

The problem at the High School was, is, and will remain until they get rid of the Principal. We can thank her and the select elites for the State Take over. Oh what a story on corruptness in Gilmer County could be done, the list is long for sure.

~~  ANONYMOUS - Faithful viewer of WBOY – Info on File ~~

~~  Author and Source on File ~~

It did not happen (DNH) has been the standard mantra in Gilmer County. Reported rapes at GSC DNH. Corruption in the court house and the legal system DNH. Cover ups of drug dealing and use, DUI, and DWI by the elite DNH. Estate plundering by members of a local law firm DNH. The reported raucous party along 33 DNH. The incidents by adults at Charleston involving GCHS athletes DNH. The list is endless. Folks, we are not brain dead. When hearing DNH we must expose facts. We are dealing with a group disinteresed in truth and if an incident happened to be seen by 100 citizens, video taped, and with a signed confession the standard cry would be it DNH. One thing we definitely need to happen is for GCHS’s principal and Blankenship to be replaced.

For all the people that think that news attention to the problem was unneeded: How would you feel if you had a student tell the cheerleader cheering on a fellow basketball player who hadn’t played and it was the last 2 mins chanting his name to get his spirits up since his head was down and maybe get the coach to put him in put this on face book”“You Represent Gilmer County High School, that means you Cheer for all of the players! If you don’t want to cheer for the whole team, then don’t cheer at all!! Simple as that!!  Isn’t that a bully statement?
How would you feel if your child was told by a student and a coach of the school that you are fat and made animal noises. Then goes home on Facebook and says “you made my day haha”
What about “I got you man I guess we need to recruit some new cheerleaders though “ or “can someone explain to to me why there are fat cheerleaders?!“

I say good for the ninth grade girls who are trying to stand up for themselves and the parents who stand beside them.  No one should have to tolerate this kind of abuse for that is what it really is. The words and actions have gone far beyond simple, immature name calling by children on a playground. 
This is an opportunity for those in charge to stop future abuse at the ninth grade level and to teach proper conflict resolution skills and acceptable social interaction.
Instead administration goes into standard denial mode and the young males begin to believe it is acceptable to treat others (especially females) in such a fashion as there is no consequence for their behavior. These actions often continue into adult life if not addressed.

Thank You PLEASE STOP NOW! People Have no idea but girl has gone 3 days without eating because of this behavior and another has went 2 days. Most of the girls won’t eat lunch or breakfast at school because the name calling has now be picked up by friends and trickled into the classrooms. Kids and Parents want to say there is not a problem? I don’t understand! The administration says they can’t find anyone to back up what’s been said? Proof can be brought to them but friends and adults don’t wont to get in the middle and say I don’t remember or I didn’t hear anything I was watching the game. While the metal abuse Continues, the eating disorders, cutting, and other self harm thoughts have went in their heads to feel better because no one is there to help because no one will punish the one person responsible for starting all of this.
I can tell you WE HAVE PRAYED FOR THE SCHOOL THIS GIRLS, THE BULLIES AND GILMER COUNTY SINCE IT IS ONE BIG MESSED UP PLACE!

It’s pretty simple really. If the administrator has proof that someone bullied another, you suspend them for a few days and when they come back you tell them next time I will recommend expulsion. You just don’t tolerate it - period! Hopefully no one will end their life over bullying. I think of that poor kid in Hurricane who was walking 3 miles home by the railroad track when he got hit and killed - all because he was tired of being bullied on the bus. Let’s not let something like that happen here please.

What is sad is parents and children can take the administration proof and then they turn around and say they have none or we will look into it.  They like to think parents lie over the elite circle of students in the school! What are the going to think when a kid in this county has had enough that they bring a gun to school and starts to kill the kids that have bullied them for a while? Everyone has a breaking point I do believe? What happen to Rachel’s challenge? I would really hate for what happen in Hurricane to happen here in Gilmer County since it was put we all just know everybody?  Do you really think a survey from the students is going to help determine if there is a problem? Come on those kids didn’t take the survey serious just read Facebook or Twitter!

Someone needs to check to see how much Butcher and county spent on Rachel’s Challenge program over and over for the same exact thing. With all the money spent the GCHS administrators are the ignorant ones and did not learn a thing.

Check it out thanks for the tip! You are right the administration has learned nothing from Rachel challenge or any other programs similar to to it! I just wish everyone would take it serious and stop saying get over it or they need to grow up!

Bullying at the GCHS must end! The it “Did Not Happen” excuse won’t work with this one. Too many individuals can verify that bullying exists and the facts won’t be ignored. The principal knows about it, so does Ron Blankenship, and it is assumed that Dr. Marple does too. The WV ACLU chapter designated bullying as ones of its main concerns to fight. Individuals interested in requesting ACLU intervention can Google WV ACLU to obtain forms to complete and submit to the organization to request help. Also, there are WV education law lawyers who may be interested in accepting a law suit on contingency. Students and parents with personal knowledge about bullying are invited to contact Gilmer Schools Coalition members. By working together citizens can stop bullying to protect our children.

Rexroad, where would a parent find the number for the coalition?

The ACLU number in Charleston is 304-345-9246. If citizens call action will be taken. Doing nothing plays into the hands of those who refuse to acknowledge that there is a problem at the GCHS. We must draw attention of the epidemic to outsiders including feds who are monitoring. Maybe Ike will get involved through his political contacts to help stop the horrible abuse. Children are community property and if we adults fail to join together to protect them all of us share blame.

Norma Hurley was elected to the position of Administrative Coordinator of the non-partisan Gilmer Schools Coalition(GSC). She is the official contact person and her telephone number is 304-462-8118.

Bullying is an issue that goes on in EVERY school EVERYWHERE. Yes, it is terrible. Kids should not act this way toward one another. These girls need to realize that they are not alone. It doesn’t matter how great you are, there will always be bullies who feel the need to make fun of people to make themselves feel better. That being said, I hope they see that they have just opened themselves up for more ridicule by making state news of the problem.

When the adults in charge permit public humiliation, overt and hurtful peer pressures it is time to speak out.  No more hiding Gilmer County problems.  Public knowledge is the only thing that seems to make the leaders and administrators do anything other than cater to their own.  I’ve always been proud that GCHS did not have cookie cutter, barbie doll cheer leaders because every child is Gilmer and should be encouraged to participate, not judged on someones idea of what they should be. When some forget their manners and decide to attack without restraint it is time to tell someone who will stop it.

To Seriously?:
I agree with you 100% that bullying is in every school and everywhere.
But….....that does not make it ok, does not make it right, and does not mean that these students should not stand up for themselves and try to stop this cruelty that they have to endure. It also does not mean that it has to be tolerated. As far as drawing attention state wide to what is happening here, GOOD!
FANTASIC! TV Stations would be welcomed with open arms to come and do another story. Publicity is what Gilmer County needs to get some of the other messes cleaned up too. You say it opened them up for more ridicule. If it does, each incident should be documented with places, times, comments, witness and reported to WV State BOE, Mr. Blankenship, Nasia Butcher. We all know that because of politics and money these three just named will not do anything. But…. if they report to these school systems and nothing is done then if I were a parent in this county I would pull my child, homeschool them and the State should have to be held responsible for the cost of homeschooling since they will NOT provide a safe and bully free school system. If several students insist on home schooling, more attention will be made to the problem. GREAT! These bullies can be held accountable and removed from school but….. depends on who it is as to what is done. This is Gilmer County folks and Gilmer County High School. Realizing that these girls or anyone being bullied is not a factor here it the principal that NO ONE should be placed in this position and it HAS TO STOP. If the ones who are doing the bullying continue, the publicity for this problem needs to be reported again to all TV stations and reporters and aired again, again and again. You students that are being bullied hold your head HIGH and consider the sources that it comes from and consider yourself the lucky ones, because you truly are the bigger person who needs the praise not the one who is doing the bullying. GILMER COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION DO SOMETHING NOW OR BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. SHAME on all of you that call yourself educators and will not take charge of these problems.

To Seriously?:
Some people in this county are very closed minded! people all of this state have praises them! It takes Courage to come forward. Now that they have they have learned others that are being bullied but are afraid to say anything because the school admin will not do anything about it. I have heard it all one way to stop cyber bullying is turn off the computer guess what it still gets brought to school because someone sees the post and people are talking about it still making that person the same if they saw it for them self! I have heard when you hurt your self over a bully you have gave the bully all the power what bull crap apparently these people have never been bullied for years likes some of these kids.  I hope it makes national news for you closed minded people. Sooner or later on of these kids that is being bullied is going to reach their snapping point then what’s going to happen? I assure you we are not immune to anything tragic to happen hear Just stating the obvious here

How can the BOE do anything about bullying when the state has taken over the school system and rendered them powerless? They have no authority to do anything.

I am not condoning the bullying. I was just trying to point out that many of us have been bullied in our lifetimes. Most of us just learned to ignore it and moved on. You and I both know that Butcher is a bully herself and will not do anything to stop it. The teachers that try to do something will probably not be heard anyway. The complaints need to go higher up than the local level.

Seriously? You want to say GC is corrupted ?  BOE is one powerless because the “cubbies” wanted and we know who you are!  these are children when bullies do what they do this is what scares then, this is what starts self harming behavior! You are right everyone has been bullied but times are different for when we grew up , some of these girls are being harassed by cell, facebook, twitter, school thatb24/7 so how do you ignore it when it happens to you 24/7?  How do you expect these parents to help these children that are being bullied when 24/7 and they are getting no help from the administration? News media was good idea what else do you want these parents to do as they watch their children start self harming behaviors, its more people the you think it is

Bullying, huh?  You want to talk about bullying?
Well, the “pro’s” at the bully process at seated, housed, and paid by taxpayer dollars right in Charleston, WV.  Yep, that’s right.  The State Board of Education.  They know how to do it and are good at it.
There is no one, not even the Governor or Legislature that can or will reign them in.  All talk.  Report after report about the BOE failures and ineptness.  Anything changing?  I think not.
You see, they know “how to do it” and then “get away with it”.  They know they are above the law, so to speak.  They are untouchable.  Who will slap their hands?  They are out of reach of voters.  Taxpayers cannot touch them.  Appears even the legislature is incapable of effecting any positive change.  The goons, thugs, bullies,  all know well they are safe.  Yes, they are the “professionals” that they claim they are.
You see they bullied Gilmer County and took control of our school system.  They very well know they were not justified in doing so.  They said we “know” that bunch of hicks up there will be a pushover.  Lets bully Gilmer County.  They know they did not give Gilmer any chance to remedy any issues they might have had.  Yay, lets go bully.  It was simply a move to cover the big butt of one of their own.  Yep, those “professionals” really stick together.  Bullying can get the job done.
So they take us over, then pay their own “professional” buddy-bully, to keep the high school administration “professional” bully on the job, doing the same old professional bullying that have the teachers and staff continually upset.  Now if the teachers and staff are continually upset, don’t you think this has an effect on all the students?  Sure, it does.  The whole school system, employees, staff and children all are suffering together at various levels.  GO! State BOE bullies!  You can almost hear their elite, Cubbie “cheerleaders” cheering.
Of course, being a bully and then getting backed up by the “professionals” in Charleston, will just empower our local bullies even more..  “Professional administrator bullies.“  We’ve got them in the ‘Land of Gil’.
Does this promote a good educational environment?  Ha!  That answer is quite obvious.
But here is the big question now folks.
Has any of the State Board of Education employee “professional” attended any of the Gilmer School Coalition meetings?
If they really wanted to get issues remedied and the school district settled on their own, they would show their faces in Gilmer County.  Have anyone seen any of them?  Do they attend any Gilmer Board of Education meetings?  Think not.
“And the beat goes on…..

Look at what happened when one student attacked another student sending him to the hospital via squad transport.  4 Days suspended and back in the classroom causing trouble again.

I seem to remember a group of teachers who kept our children in our schools when they had a regular Student Assistance Team. This group of dedicated teachers met every afternoon if needed. They gave of their time to any and every student - even when the student did always appreciate it.

This SAT group of teachers led an “Alternative Group” every week where students met in group session, exercised(walking) and did community service around the school.  Students who did their required service often came back - I know I did. What did students do to get into this group? fighting, tobacco use, yelling at teachers, skip school, and the like….as I recall, it was in county policy. I think it was in the Safe and Drug Free School policy. We always had four or five in the group.

The teacher who led the group was about the only teacher at the high school who showed he cared in deeds, and words.

We can talk this bullying mess to death.  It is wrong.  Nothing seems to be getting done about it.
The State BOE is inept at the very least?  They now are the “owners” of the Gilmer County School District Debacle.  They have improved little to nothing?
Some things may actually be worse?  There is constant turmoil and complaints?  You remember who the two persons were, who talked down to our fellow Gilmer citizens.
Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe one was Mz. Marple and the other was Mrs. Senator Manchin.  Its “their” mess, they “own” it.  Have they done anything?
Do we still have an incompetent administration running the show?  The longer this goes, the better it proves the results of all the reports and surveys to be correct.  I am loving this.
They have dug their own hole.  Reports confirm it.  They are likely bumfuddled by their own actions.  We still have the same issues they complained about, and getting worse, because they apparently have no stomach to fix it.  Remember poor MacDowell County school system.
After being under state control for 10 years, Mrs Senator Manchin (Gayle) goes on television saying they now have a Five Year Plan for MacDowell schools.  What a funny dang deal.  It took them TEN years to put together a FIVE year plan…....they tell us will be the “Model for West Virginia Schools”!  Isn’t that a blast!!?  ROTFLMBO ! 
And then check out all the job postings for the GC school district.  Look very closely at the spelling.  And its been that way for a long, long time.  Hollywood writers couldn’t write this stuff!

Follow the process. Ensure that solid evidence exists. If it exists file a formal complaint with Blankenship by certified return mail with a copy to Dr. Marple by certified return mail. If action is not taken immediately consider naming them in a heavy duty lawsuit if a good lawyer experienced with bullying cases advises that the issue is legally actionable.