Mark Murphy, Secretary Of Education, DE Is Bullying Acceptable, Or Do Students Lives Matter?

September 14, 2014

Secretary of Education Delaware
Mr. Mark Murphy

Dear Mr. Murphy:

My name is Andrew “Dre” King-Edwards, I attend Smyrna High School, and I am listed as being both in the 9th and 10th grade. Back in early January of 2014, I was ordered by a Kent County Judge to be withdrawn from a Christian School that my mother thought was best for me. I was ordered to be re-enrolled to Poly Tech High School.

PolyTech could not take me back because of the school's full capcity from attending the school. My Mother then reached out to Mrs. Wicks in the Smyrna School district where we reside. Smyrna School District put me on hold from attending Smyrna High School.

I was the put on a waiting period of three weeks from school. I missed so much time that the school flunked me and kept me in the 9th grade. Although I am taking 10th grade classes this year, I am listed as a ninth grader. This is frustrating to me because, I did not deserve this, just because of three weeks of school.

Please find below a brief synopsis of the bullying that occurred at Smyrna High School in Late January-February 2014.

My mom met with Mrs. Cook, the Principal. Mrs. Cook stated the things below that happened to me were not considered bullying and would not file a report. My Mother had a meeting with Mrs. Wicks the Suprintendant of the Smyrna school district. Mrs. Wicks concurred with Mrs. Cook, that they refused to report the below incidents that I am going to describe that happened to me, leading up to the incident which nearly turned into a violent altercation.

I think the school has perposefully made a false claim of saying that the things Zaiyre (the student who bullied me) has done was not bullying. It in fact was bullying, and it especially drained me emotionally, physically, and mentally. These events happened in the months of late January to mid-February. 
Here is the following of which he has said/done to me. Please forgive the obscenities in the following...
He has called me a p*ssy
He has said whenever I play or practice the snare, that I “sounded like ass”
Whenever I try to ignore him, he made fun of me for “acting like a b*tch” and not standing up to him like a “real n*gga”
He has often said I suck at rapping, which is one of my favorite hobbies, and has even threatened to gather his boys and get them to watch him “whoop my punk ass”.
He always laughs at every mistake I make, albeit big or small.
Since we were in Marching Band Class with him, he has made rude remarks like, “It doesn't matter what drum you play, you're still going to suck at it, d*ckhead”.
He has even annoyed me to the point where I used to come home from with headaches from all the major stress has caused me.

At first I tried to shrug it off like it was nothing, since this wasn't the first time that I had been bullied in a new school in previous grades, but he did stuff like this every day so every time he would laugh at me, make fun of my clothes, my self-esteem dropped really low and 
I began to believe everything he said.

As you can see, these events are actually the root of the incident that happened that day. He instigated what could've been a fight by laughing at me when I misinterpreted what one of my friends said. I felt embarassed when I realized I had made a mistake, and his laughter and calling me “dumbass” only added insult to injury. Having been fed up with his constant treatment, I felt like I had to take action by saying what I said right to his face, and I would be damned if he had contiued to violate my rights to be in an safe educational and social environment any longer. Now I know the truth of the matter is that could've found a better way to handle the situation I was in, but at the time I was so righteously indigant about all the stuff he said and did in prior to that moment I could'nt really think of anything else to do. For that, I own up to my part in the altercation, and for that I apologize. But I will not apologize for being a victim of social abuse, or merely trying to stand up for my right not to be bullied by another student.

Thanks for listening, 

Andrew King-Edwards