GIG HARBOR, Wash. — Shocking footage from a Gig Harbor school bus shows a student allegedly attacking a 12-year-old. The victim’s family said this wasn’t the first time.
The family of the student who was attacked said they’ve gone back and forth with the school since the incident happened in early December. Now they feel like they’re at their wit’s end.
The school also sent them a report after investigating the incident. That report said 12-year-old Ethan was most likely not bullied. His mom April Nelick said she couldn’t believe it after watching footage of her son being repeatedly punched in the head.
“It was kind of heartbreaking because I don’t think any mom would be able to see that and still say that’s fine, we’ll just move on,” Nelick said.
The incident with Nelick’s son happened on December 7, 2023, on the way to Kopachek Middle School.
The interaction begins with a student pushing her 12-year-old son Ethan around in his bus seat, then fists start flying. Many of those blows landed on Ethan’s head. Another student even reported the incident to teachers. Nelick said her son was interviewed by the Kopachek Middle School’s Principal but he was too scared to admit he was being bullied.
“My son is 12, he’s only 4 something, he’s like not even 100lbs,” she said. “He doesn’t like conflict. He’s the one that would prefer to go hide.”
April added that the bus incident isn’t the first time that a student targeted her son.
“He said something about ‘It must suck to be Asian,’” she said. “When we reported to the school the school says they can’t corroborate his statement. There was no witness. What, now my son has to have a recorder with him?”
The school assigned her son’s bully a bus seat behind the driver, but nothing else per April. The school also sent April conflicting reports.
“The investigation has found that Ethan was more likely than not physically bullied,” she read from the report the school sent on the incident. “I would like to ask more likely than not.”
April then read from the school’s bullying policy, which they also sent her.
“It clearly says that physically harming a student is considered bullying,” she said. “That’s part of the definition. My blood pressure went up to 250 that day.”
She continued, “I can’t believe what I saw. I was looking at my husband, I said this is BS. This is worse than what I expected. This is a battle I’m going to keep going.”
The reason Nelick said the school didn’t consider the incident bullying was because Ethan kicked the student back after being kicked repeatedly. Nelick said now her emails are going unanswered, all while her son still has to get on that same school bus every day.
“What should I tell him next time when someone wants to hit him? What should he do?” she said. “Should he really just punch back? Then the school will consider this to be a fight, not bullying. Or just accept the punch and come home and cry? What is the solution?”
She said the school told her if she wants to see more done, she should make a police report.
“I think that’s the school job,” she said. “If any student gets bullied at school and contacts the sheriff’s office, the sheriff’s office will be super busy.”
KIRO 7 crews called the number on the Peninsula School District’s website on the “Communications” page under the “Media Relations” tab where it reads, “The communications team primary point of contact for news media. Please call our office at 253-358-6931.”
The person who answered that number said this was the first time they heard about the issue and didn’t deny being a member of the Peninsula School District’s communications team. After the story aired, a member of the communications team sent KIRO 7 the following statement:
“Building administrators were notified of an allegation of bullying on Friday, December 8th. They investigated the allegation and found the behaviors to meet the definition of Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying. Based on the findings, corrective measures were implemented, including disciplinary action and support for the targeted student. These steps were consistent with district policy and procedure.”
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