Chilliwack – NOTE- Marina Garmon is a mental health support worker and her son goes to a local Chilliwack elementary school.
Ms Garmon penned an open letter on the bullying her son receives. She has contacted a number of agencies, media outlets and Provincial Ministers.
Please accept this letter of official concern for the well being of my child and students of School
District 33. For many months now I have been conversing with the Administration of Little
Mountain Elementary in relation to the continuous bullying and harassment of my son. Verbal
and physical threats are directed at him each day he attends school. After over 30 meetings
with Administration, I have been forced to include you all in this issue, as I feel that the lack of
action on the part of Administration puts my son and every other child faced with bullying and
harassment within the school at risk. Bullying and harassment of verbal assaults on his physical
person as well as his mental health, physical assaults of kicking and hitting and in the last
assault my son was instructed to harm himself. When I discussed this with the School
Administration, they did not appear to be concerned about this and at one point asked my son
why he reacted to the verbal and physical assault the way that he did. Honestly frustrating me
very much, when administration has not reacted to the “bully” in any manner noted by its daily
consistent action towards my son.
The provinces guidelines and mandates of each ministry speak to the well being and safety of
children. Stats Canada (https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/bllng-prvntn/index-
en.aspx) report on the long-term effects of bullying and harassment on children within the
school system and in face under the guidance of ERASE from the ministry of Education
students are ensured that they will be in a “safe environment” in each school in the province.
Public Safety Canada also reports of the long term effects of bullying
(https://www.safecanada.ca/bullying-in-canada/#:~:text=t%20report%20it.-
,Influence%20of%20Peers,bullying%20stops%20in%20ten%20seconds.) Disengagement in
education and school as a whole become more prominent as time goes on. This is not the
future I want for my son, nor do I believe other students of School District 33.
Unfortunately, this in untrue within School District 33 and the school of Little Mountain
Elementary. In its own Code of Conduct there are many instances of concern – so many that I
am attaching a copy highlighted with the areas that affect my son, too many to list here in the
boundaries of this letter.
As I am a trained Mental Health Support Worker in the community, I see this as a very serious matter for my sons own well being and his Human Right to attend school in a safe secure learning environment. Including other students within the District with whom my son attends school with.
As there has been several concerns publicly with District 33, I think it is time for
the Government as a whole to take a closer look at the issues surrounding the youth in our
area. Public Safety and Human Rights are being overlooked and not taken seriously.
All ministries noted above are mandated to ensure public safety and security for youth in the
province of British Columbia. School Administrators are mandated to ensure a safe and
conducive learning environment for children of the province of British Columbia. As a parent of
one of those children this is not happening for my son, and I am sure he is not alone in being
forced to go to an environment that is fracturing his mental and physical health.
I urge School District 33 Administration to follow their own Code of Conduct, ERASE program,
Provincial School Guidelines and Human Rights for the children within the catchment area. I
want assurance that the “bully” in this instant will be held accountable for their actions and an
immediate stop to this behaviour is made clear. That my sons voice be heard by the
administration when he comes to you for assistance and that the clear direction from SD33
Guidelines be followed to deal with negative behaviour within the schools.
Marina Garmon , Chilliwack
