RICHMOND, Va. -- A Richmond mother is feeling a range of emotions after watching her 12-year-old daughter deal with bullying at not just one Richmond Public School, but two.
“I feel frustrated, confused, hurt and in disbelief,” said Avante Dixon.
The mother said her daughter encountered serious bullying at Elkhart Thompson Middle and Boushall Middle, her current school.
The 12-year-old transferred schools in December of 2015 because of frequent bullying from peers.
Dixon said in 2015 when they moved in Hillside Court, her daughter experienced bullying from the start.
“Amaya started coming home, running off the bus with girls behind her ripping her clothes off,” said Dixon. “Amaya has had her hair pulled, clothes ripped and Jordan’s taken and thrown over a roof.”
Dixon described a scary encounter just before spring break. She said the incident prompted her to call police and ultimately caused her to get an emergency order to relocate to another housing complex.
“On this particular day, Amaya did get in a fight with one of the girls. Before we knew it, the people were coming inside my apartment and holding me at gunpoint while they dragged my daughter out of the apartment,” said Dixon.
Police confirm they investigated the incident and made one arrest for simple assault.
Now, the mother said she’s fighting to keep her daughter at her current school to finish the year even though she moved out of the school zone.
“It’s not my decision to move... we had to move for safety reasons."
Dixon said she is also dealing with complications from her daughter missing so much time from school.
Avante Dixon
“She already missed more than 50 days out of school for suspensions and for not feeling safe at school,” said Dixon. “The school is now taking me to court for Amaya missing days out of school.”
CBS 6 contacted School Board Chairman Dawn Page who represents Dixon’s area.
She said she plans to get all the facts and personally work with the family.
“This behavior is unacceptable,” said Page. “Our kids should be learning in a safe and nurturing environment without having to worry about intimidation and bullying. We know there is an issue that needs to be addressed and we will be addressing it.”
Dixon said she is encouraging other parents, whose children are dealing with the same issues, to be an advocate for their child and speak up.
Page said she would also encourage other families to speak up if they are dealing with bullying issues.
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