Wanda English Burnett, Editor

When the question was posed to Jerry Gilpin at the Meet Your Candidate Night held October 27 at the South Ripley Elementary Cafeteria, about why he was running for school board at South Ripley when his children do not attend there, he had an answer. Gilpin told the crowd that his son was bullied for years and over the weekend had been hospitalized from an incident that he believes is directly related to action or lack of action, taken at South Ripley over the years.

Gilpin said his son laid in a hospital bed with a brain concussion after being battered at his own home on Saturday, October 25. He noted that a South Ripley student was involved in the fight and has harassed his son since at least the fifth grade. “The administration (South Ripley) did nothing,” he commented. He said he had met with school officials over the actions of this student, which continued from elementary school to high school.

"I don't believe the teachers can do much about the problem because the administration won't stand behind them," Gilpin told The Versailles Republican. He said he feels in some instances the administration is part of the bullying process. Gilpin admits to butting heads with the school administration, but doesn’t believe it should have been taken out on his children.

Gilpin said his children hated going to school every day because of what went on there. “We shouldn’t have to pay tuition for our kids to go to another school,” he stated.

Saying it wasn’t a one-time thing, Gilpin also noted that his son suffered second degree burns at the hands of another student in a science class, with very little done by administration. He said it wasn’t an accident, but a deliberate act against his son. “Oh, yes, they did give the kid involved one day of detention,” Gilpin said. He said the only effort the administration put forth was to schedule classes for his son around the student who was bullying him.

Gilpin says he feels frustrated, but not defeated. He will continue to look at ways to make sure the laws get changed so the school administration will truly have to address issues such as they have experienced. “Right now the law is pretty vague,” he noted.

Since the story aired on WRBI radio, the station received calls from other parents saying they are experiencing some of the same issues involving bullying at both the elementary and Jr. Sr. high schools at South Ripley and are worried about the outcome.

South Ripley Superintendent Ted Ahaus told The Versailles Republican that bullying is a problem at all schools. He noted that they do take the problem seriously and address issues as they arise. He further stated that in society in general there is a problem with this and schools are no different. He would not comment to the statements made by Gilpin and the specific issue at hand.