14 News, The Tri-State's News and Weather Leader-Mother: Why is there no bully law in Vanderburgh Co.?
By Brandon Bartlett - bio | email | Twitter
Posted by Sarah Harlan - email
EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) - An Evansville mother is speaking out after she said her daughter was bullied very graphically on the school bus.
She's asking why there's not more laws on the books to protect her daughter.
Due to the nature of this story, 14 News won't share some of the details, but a mother came to 14 News Tuesday night because she said her 5-year-old daughter was bullied by a third grade boy, and she thinks more should have been done about it faster.
"I'm just a mom with a daughter who got picked on in a rather obscene way," Jessica Riesbeck said.
Riesbeck said an incident on her daughter's school bus last week should never have happened.
"They need a plan and it doesn't seem they have one," Riesbeck said.
Riesbeck said after she found out about the incident, she immediately called Stringtown Elementary School.
She said she was told a school liaison officer would contact her, but she said that didn't happen until almost a week later.
"I kept calling the guidance counselor back and questioning and kept being assured the officer had been informed, and he hadn't until today," Riesbeck said.
Riesbeck said all that time her daughter had to ride the same bus with the young boy.
EVSC officials said that delay was because school officials were paging the officer.
They said his pager wasn't working.
Riesbeck said the officer told her he traded in his pager months ago.
"I think if there was a guideline, if there was a set of rules that everyone is supposed to abide to then you wouldn't have to be put through this frustration," Riesbeck said. "Your kid, my daughter, wouldn't have to be put through this."
Riesbeck said she was surprised to find out Vanderburgh County doesn't have a bully law on the books, a law she said would make sure her daughter wouldn't slip through the cracks.
"The guidance counselor and everyone involved at our school would of kind of had a plan and steps and procedures about what needs to go next, who needs to be reported for this, what kind of punishment does that person receive for doing this bullying," Riesbeck said.
Riesbeck said the incident wasn't recorded on the bus' video camera because her daughter was sitting in a blind spot.
She said that's all the more reason monitors are needed on the bus.
"I don't understand why EVSC can't do that," Riesbeck said. "It may be the cost, but that's not my problem. My problem is in the safety of my child."
EVSC officials said some busses do have monitors, but most don't.
Officials said that third grade boy has been suspended from riding the bus until March 1.
An incident report has been filed with the Evansville Police Department.
Riesbeck said she hopes this incident will pave the way for a bully law in Vanderburgh County in the near future.
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