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One life is ENOUGH! Stop Bullying in the Cashmere School District
  1. Signatures
    806 out of 1,000
    Petitioning
    1. The WA State House (+ 44 others)
      Petitioning
      close
      • The WA State House
      • Gov. Chris Gregoire (WA)
      • State Sen. Linda Parlette (WA-012)
      • State Rep. Cary Condotta (WA-012A)
      • State Rep. Mike Armstrong (WA-012B)
      • Business Manager of Cashmere School District (Douglas Poole)
      • Superintendent of Cashmere School District (Glen Johnson)
      • Special Education Director of Cashmere School District (Trisha Craig)
      • Principle of Cashmere High School (Tony Boyle)
      • Vice Principal/Athletic Director of Cashmere High School (Scott Brown)
      • Vice Principal/A.D. of Cashmere Valley Middle School (Mr. Wheatley)
      • Principal of Cashmere Middle School (Mr. Cline)
      • Principal of Vale Elementary School of the Cashmere School District (Mr. McKenna)
      • Vice Principal of Vale Elementary School of the Cashmere School District (Mr. Griffith)
      • Mayor of the City of Cashmere (Jeff Gomes)
      • City Council Member of the City of Cashmere (Derek Knutsen)
      • City Council Member of the City of Cashmere (John Bryant)
      • City Council Member of the City of Cashmere (Donna Wynne)
      • City Council Member of the City of Cashmere (Jim Fletcher)
      • City Council Member of the City of Cashmere (Skip Moore)
      • Counselor at Cashmere High School (Joanne Houseman)
      • 8th Grade Geometry teacher at Cashmere Middle School (Mr. Durheim)
      • 8th Grade Tech Lab teacher at Cashmere Middle School (Mr. Groce)
      • 8th Grade English teacher at Cashmere Middle School (Mr. Robertson)
      • 8th Grade History teacher at Cashmere Middle School (Mr. Davidson)
      • 6th,7th & 8th Grade Band teacher at Cashmere Middle School (Mr. Chalmers)
      • P.E. teacher at Cashmere Middle School (Ms. Broadbent)
      • P.E teacher at Cashmere Middle School (Mr. Knell)
      • 5th - 8th ESL teacher at Cashmere Middle School (Mrs. Madsen Vidal)
      • Librarian at Cashmere Middle School (Mrs. Lindell)
      • 8th Grade Math teacher at Cashmere Middle School (Mrs. Carlson)
      • 8th Grade Science teacher at Cashmere Middle School (Mrs. Ball)
      • 7th Grade Science teacher at Cashmere Middle School (Mr. Martin)
      • 7th Grade Humanities teacher at Cashmere Middle School (Mrs. Harle)
      • 7th Grade Math teacher at Cashmere Middle School (Mr. Wise)
      • 6th Grade teacher at Cashmere Middle School (Mr. Crutcher)
      • 6th Grade teacher at Cashmere Middle School (Mrs. Shook)
      • 6th Grade teacher at Cashmere Middle School (Mrs. Som)
      • 6th Grade teacher at Cashmere Middle School (Mr. Smith)
      • Reading Specialist at Cashmere Middle School (Mrs. B. Jones)
      • Resource Specialist at Cashmere Middle School (Mrs. Avila)
      • 5th Grade teacher at Cashmere Middle School (Mr. Carlson)
      • 5th Grade teacher at Cashmere Middle School (Miss Flagel)
      • 7th Grade Humanities teacher at Cashmere Middle School (Mrs. Milne)
      • 7th and 8th Grade Art teacher at Cashmere Middle School (Ms. Cava)
  2. Created By
    Beau Smith
    East Wenatchee, WA
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates

The reason for this petition is due to the Cashmere School District failing to follow it's own anti-harassment policies, which led to the bullying and subsequent suicide of a beloved young teen, only because he was openly gay.

It's time for the Cashmere School District to educate its students on the effects of bullying and to reinforce that policy for its staff members, regardless of their own beliefs on the "issue" of homosexuality. No child should have to feel so helpless and alone that their only measure of action is ending their own life.

No matter how much you disagree with someone, they don't deserve to be physically or emotionally harmed. To say that no staff member or classmate ever saw this student being bullied, would be a figment of any logical mind's imagination. The failure of the Cashmere School District cannot go unanswered.

Rafael Morelos, 14, was punched in the locker rooms, taunted in the classroom, and tormented online. Maybe your child, your grand child, or your younger sibling isn't homosexual, but what's to stop other children from harassing them for being different? The Cashmere School District certainly isn't going to stop them as evidenced by its lack of response and change. 

The only effort put forward by the administration was at one time when "appropriate action" was taken. This is a farse. If appropriate action had been taken, then we wouldn't need to petition the school district, Rafael would still be alive and his family would not be mourning his death.

Although the Cashmere School District is not entirely to blame, as this is a community issue, it is important for the district to reinforce anti-harassments and anti-bullying polices/procedures in staff and students in any positive way. 

So please, in an effort for equality, and in an effort to save many more from pain, suffering, and even death, sign this petition.

I will hand deliver these petitions to Superintendent, Glenn Johnson and all other administrators in the Cashmere School District, they already recieve an email, but a show of petition in paper will make a much bigger impression.

I hope anyone reading this, demands change from him and his school district as well! 

It takes the voice of many to make a change for the better.

If you wish to learn more about the reasons behind this petition, or if you'd like to reach out to the Cashmere School District and express your concern, the information can be found here:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017840595_suicide26m.html?prmid=4939 

http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/bullying-not-investigated-in-suicide-of-14-year-old-anti-gay-bullying-victim/discrimination/2012/02/06/34196  

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/06/rafael-morelos-gay-washington-suicide_n_1258471.html

http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/cashmere-community-mourns-after-teen-commits-suici/nHTSw/

http://www.cashmere.wednet.edu/
  You can contact Superintendent Glenn Johnson at: gjohnson@cashmere.wednet.edu

And please spread the word!

the link for this petition is: http://www.change.org/petitions/one-life-is-enough

Why People Are Signing
Recent Signatures

One life is ENOUGH!

Dear Gov. Gregoire, Sen. Parlette, Rep. Condotta, Rep. Armstrong, Mayor Jeff Gomes, & district staff

In light of the recent suicide of Rafael Morelos in the Cashmere School district, after being bullied for being homosexual, I request that you revamp efforts to educate your students in anti-bullying and anti-harassment . I also request that you revamp your staff's effort to protect the children they teach.

Although you can say that there is no evidence of bullying, many friends have stated otherwise, and there is no way that this young man was "happied" into killing himself. This young man ended his life because of the conglomeration of years of tormenting, name-calling, and even physical violence.

The fact that either no staff or student saw or reported Rafael's harassment, or that they did and sufficient effort was not put forward by the administration, speaks worlds about your policies and procedures. Put simply, your staff failed to protect him, and your students might as well have been the ones who hanged him under your "watchful eye!" We as a community will not allow you to fail again.

One life is ENOUGH! Please be the positive change and push your district towards a safer environment for its students, all of its students. Change your policies and procedures in a way that makes them more pertinent for your staff, and makes them stronger and clearer for students.

I suggest more anti-bullying and anti harassment assemblies, and increased teacher presence in students' areas of social interaction. A zero-tolerance bullying policy would be sufficient as well. You can no longer be passive with your policies and procedures, you have to increase your efforts. Rafael would still be alive if the district was a more safe and positive environment.

Encourage a safe and positive environment for students where bullying will not be tolerated. In doing this you can change the Cashmere community for the better.

Know that this issue has been made into a public petition on change.org, and will not disappear unless sufficient effort is put forward by your administration and you.

The petition can be found here: http://www.change.org/petitions/one-life-is-enough

Thank you for your time and effort.

----------------

Sincerely,

[Your name]

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