Hundreds of Fayette County high school students received tips Thursday on how to respond if they witness bullying or are victims themselves. Suggestions came during an anti-bullying summit.
Judy and Dennis Shepherd offered advice to students in person at the summit and to many more watching on a live video stream in area classrooms. The Shepherds son, Matthew was murdered in 1998 because of his sexual orientation. Dennis Shepherd says telling authority figures about bullying may protect the bullies as well as the victims. “There have been cases, well publicized cases, of young people who did cyber bullying and caused some young person to take their life and then they have been prosecuted,” said Shepherd.
Over the past four years in Fayette County schools, the number of reported incidents of bullying or harassment has dropped by almost 50 percent. School Superintendent Manny Caulk says there’s not room for discrimination, bullying, or hate in the Lexington district. “Our schools must be places where each of you feels welcomed to be yourself,” said Caulk.
Eastside Technical School student Nate Shinefeld says progress is being made and the LGBT community seems to be more widely accepted. But Shinefeld adds, all progress is not necessarily positive. “It seems also as awareness rises, more people are outspoken about their negativity to the LGBT community,” Shinefeld says. “I think that the awareness is helping some, but there needs to be continued awareness, otherwise the negativity won’t stop.”
The students also heard from Lexington Mayor Jim Gray. Gray, who is gay, told the students he saw friends being bullied when he was in school. The mayor added he should have spoken out more during those times.?
