I haven’t been very open about all my struggles with Bellevue School District because I felt that everything I went through was not important, even though it most definitely was and what happened was inexcusable. At the beginning of October of this school year, I attempted suicide at school (no one was around besides a 2 staff members so I couldn’t have traumatized other students in THAT moment). This is when I was emergency expelled for the first time. After 4 weeks of no education, no online school, nothing, I was transferred to a program in my high school that completely isolated me and punished me for my “behavior”. I was the only kid in that classroom and I remained there for the entirety of the day that I was at school. After about a week in that program, I attempted again and was emergency expelled for the second time in the school year. Just a reminder - suicide attempts are not selfish in any way and often times isolation makes the suicidal thoughts and actual intent on acting on the thoughts worse. After this incident, I was home with again, no education of any sort for one week. After this, I started a NEW program at a different school that again isolated me from other kids and had me away from all my friends. This program was started with a good faith agreement with my original high school that by the end of the semester, if I was “good”, I would be allowed back into Interlake. Unfortunately, even though I did EVERYTHING “right” and kept myself safe for 10 weeks, we had my IEP (individualized education plan) meeting where they just let me know (even though it is supposed to be a team decision, which includes me and my family and anyone else on my “side”) that I would not be returning to my high school. Instead they didn’t suggest but forced a longterm placement at another high school in Bellevue School District. Making me leave my advanced learning, accelerated IB path, to go somewhere that I didn’t know anyone and wouldn’t have the academic rigor that keeps me going. This may possibly be a good reset to me to start over at a new place, however, the manipulation and power dynamic that was used by Bellevue School District was shocking. They came to my IEP meeting pretending that we were making the decision about what was happening next TOGETHER but they came prepared to completely slander me for having mental health issues. They ignored my treatment team feedback and they came with an army of people to defend their side. We were ignored. They didn’t announce the recommendation until after the meeting was over and my providers has left the meeting. We were told to take it or leave it. Simply so they would not have to deal with the mental health of one student, passing the responsibility onto another school. Bottom line is that I was expelled from my high school where I had the academic rigor that was so important for me and the friends I’ve been with since 4th grade, to a different school where I would have to completely start over. All of this was done deceivingly and with intended manipulation.

Also - Bellevue School District is monitoring my social media so that’s why I haven’t been too active with activism things on here, however, today is when I start making change happen again. I am done with their manipulation and them simply trying to protect their reputation.