Current protocol for handling issues of bullying and harassment at RCSD include putting the attacker and the victim together for mediation. In this handling, the victim is forced to sit face to face with their attacker and find a common ground, move past the attack (at least say that you do), and agree to leave the incident in the past. This provides no consequence for the attacker, no justice for the victim and no hope for anyone that change will come. In this handling, the victim is victimized twice, the first time by their attacker and the second by the district. 

The majority of these cases involving bullying and harassment in the RCS district are against students who belong to marginalized communities. The failure of the district to properly handle these discriminatory attacks promotes the attitude of intolerance and lack of diversity that people have talked about in this town for decades. It has also led to at least ten percent of at least one grade in the district dropping out or leaving the district. 

These policies are destroying children's futures, causing and/or increasing depression and anxiety in students who don't fit the "desired" demographic, and leading to an overall failure of the school to protect its students. 

These students being failed by these policies are more likely to attempt suicide, turn to alcohol or drug use, live in poverty, and/or commit crimes as a result of the loss of the opportunity for an education and the failure of the district to make them feel safe. 

Let's not fail any more of these kids. Let's give all of the students in our district a fair chance at a better life. Let's change the way we address these attacks.