Family of bullied teen with cerebral palsy files human rights complaint
A Nova Scotia teenager with cerebral palsy and his family have filed a human rights complaint against Glace Bay High School over what they say is a lack of support following an incident of bullying that was caught on video, posted online and went viral.
In the video uploaded in November, 14-year-old Brett Corbett is seen lying stomach-down in a cold, shallow creek near the school as students walk across his back.
Although the Grade 9 student saw a flood of support following the incident and even forgave his bullies, his mother said he still doesn't feel safe at school.
"Mentally and emotionally, he's not handling this well," Terri McEachern told CBC News on Monday.
"He's having anxiety attacks about it, he does not want to go back to school, he has a lot of fears."
After the incident, the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional Centre for Education — the body that manages schools in the area — said it would take action with what's known as a restorative practice process.
According to the centre, it involves students, staff, parents, the school advisory council and members of the school community acknowledging the harm done and giving a voice to all in planning a way forward.
Pulling out of restorative practice process
But McEachern said she's not sure what's happening with the process. She said the school had a meeting with some students and that she had a meeting with the school, but that's it.
"We won't be taking part [in the restorative practice process]," McEachern said.
"Brett was really, after that day, he was not comfortable. He had an anxiety attack. I contacted his pediatrician, he did not do well in the toxic environment."
McEachern said someone from the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission came to their house and spoke with her son. She said it was more comfortable for him compared to the mediation process at school.
'They allowed him to be degraded'
The complaint with the commission is in the early stages. McEachern said she and her son signed the complaint form and it was sent to Glace Bay High School. The next step, she said, is waiting for the school's response.
She said the school only suspended the students who walked on her son for a day and claimed someone from the school called her son a liar before the video of the incident surfaced.
"They allowed him to be humiliated and degraded, they didn't let him have a voice — there's a lot to it," she said.
The Cape Breton-Victoria Regional Centre for Education declined comment.
Benefits of a restorative process
Jim Ellsworth, the father of one of the bullies, said he thinks everyone who was involved in the incident should take part in the restorative process.
"I think it would be beneficial for everybody who was involved to sit down and have a chat and they could make their decision which way to go," he said.
Ellsworth said he supports the process because it's a way to move forward, heal and show other students "the tools they need to make good decisions."
