Town hall offers parents, student a chance to speak out about bullying in Hamilton

There were tears and testimony Tuesday night as parents and students gathered at the Knights of Columbus hall in east Hamilton to talk about bullying.

A crowd of about 20 community members gathered, along with about the same number wearing the leather vests and crest of the 999th Legion for Child Rights, which organized the town hall meeting. 

Keven Ellis, one of the founders of the group, shared his own experience with bullying, saying he was forced to wear a dunce cap and was cruelly teased by other students to the point where he climbed a hydro tower and to take his own life.

"Every day like clockwork I got beat up," he said, adding the torment only stopped when his family moved and he changed schools.

"Every kid that ever goes to school has been subjected to this is some way shape or form and if we don't find a way to help them we're going to lose more kids, whether it be through suicide, murder, stabbings, it doesn't matter."

The legion was also asking attendees to fill out surveys asking parents questions including whether their child had been bullied, where it happened, who they reported it to and what injuries they suffered.

13-year-old talks about being bullied

Though the town hall didn't see the turnout organizers were hoping for, Ellis said the legion will be sharing the survey by email with people who weren't able to make it, but who still want to be heard.

He said his hope is to gather enough data to show where the "hotspots" for bullying are in the city and then provide the information to the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) to help them direct their resources.

The evening also included an open mic session where people could share their stories.

Parents spoke about the abuse and pain their children had suffered, including stabbings, fights and one mom who said her six-year-old had been hurt.

Devin Lavigne was the lone student who spoke at the podium.

"Me and my brother Jordan both get bullied at school," said the 13-year-old, saying the most recent incident happened on Dec. 6 when another student stamped on his head and kicked him.

"I had three head injuries and three concussions since October 2019," he explained.

Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board Chair Alex Johnstone was in the crowd, listening.

"I want to hear from parents directly, I want to hear from community members directly and I want to ensure that they know the board is concerned," she said.

'A call to action'

The chair said what she heard during the gathering reinforced for her the notion that teachers, parents, community members and students all want change.

"This is a call to action that we all need to be working together."

Following the death of Devan Selvey, a 14-year-old who was stabbed to death outside his high school, allegedly by another student, the HWDSB set up an independent three-person panel to look at four areas around bullying — prevention, intervention, reporting and responding.

On Monday the board is expected to receive a report outlining the methodology and interview schedule the panel will be following, said Johnstone.

"We can't have any child or any family left to face bullying on their own and that is where we as a community need to come together to address this issue."