Seguin ISD parents express concerns about bullying issues

SEGUIN, TX – Concerned parents at Seguin ISD say bullying is out of control.

Many claim their children are victims.

Now they are taking the safety of their children into their own hands.

“It’s sad that this school district is terrible,” Jadie Wilkerson said. “That’s why no one wants to send their children to those schools.”

Wilkerson is a mother who said she wouldn’t wish her daughter’s experience at Seguin ISD on any other student.

She almost lost 13-year-old Jasmine to bullying.

“It was that she came home crying every day, and for a while she wouldn’t tell me what was going on,” Jadie said. “Then we found out she was being bullied.”

Jadie is one of many parents who said their child faced bullying from other students in the district.

Just last month, two students died by suicide, while at least one more attempted suicide this week.

Jadie said her then-12-year-old heard that she was “too pretty” or “too fat” as a reason why she was bullied at AJ Briesemeister Middle School. Until one day she had enough.

“One day I come home and she’s lying on the carpet,” Jadie said. “And I wonder what’s going on… it was a scary moment for me.”

Fortunately, Jasmine survived that attempt.

But after several cries for help to school administrators, Jadie said something had to change.

“I took her out of Seguin and homeschooled her,” the mother said. ‘That was very difficult for her because she had no friends to talk to. She had no one to talk to, and she’s in therapy now… My child has changed.”

After receiving multiple tips from parents sharing similar stories, we reached out to Seguin ISD to find out what they are doing to resolve this.

They sent us a statement saying in part that mental health awareness is a top priority for the district.

They add that there is a bullying report form on their website.

Laraine Turner is vice president of Precious Life Suicide Prevention.

She says the organization is trying to forge a bond with the district to provide support to students.

“Well, it just breaks our hearts, because we have the resources, and all we’re asking is to give us a chance to come in, you know, to let the students know that they’re not alone,” said Turner. . “That there is someone who wants to help, who wants to listen.”

She said she is still waiting for an answer.

But Jadie said she can’t wait any longer and is urging the district to take action before it’s too late for another child.

“You have to do better,” she said. “You have to be more aware because you’re going to get more students to try it. But if you can’t help them with their mental abilities, are you really doing what’s best for them?”

FULL SEGUIN ISD STATEMENT:

“2024 was a difficult year for our entire district, especially Seguin High School. One of our students died in a car accident shortly before the start of the school year, followed by the recent deaths of two students last month.

Mental health awareness is a high priority for school districts across America. Teen suicide is a crisis from Seguin to San Antonio, across Texas and across the country. Our district is focused on helping our students; we know that the grieving process looks different for everyone.

Seguin ISD is committed to supporting the social and emotional well-being of our students. Our district provides several resources to our students and staff, in collaboration with our community partners. Region Service Center 20, neighboring school districts, our local law enforcement, Bluebonnet Trails Community Services, Communities in Schools and the Seguin ISD Ministerial Alliance are among those who have supported our district during this time of great need.

Several factors remain on the district’s radar, such as truancy, vaping and bullying, as priority topics throughout the school year. As technology has given way to new forms of bullying, teachers are challenged to keep up.

Seguin ISD would like families to be aware of the bullying reporting system. The form is available on our website here. Campus administrators who receive these forms will proceed with an investigation using a variety of tools.

We encourage parents to seek reliable forms of communication to reduce misinformation on social media. Parents are also asked to work with school officials to maintain an open line of communication.

Seguin is a close-knit community that goes through the healing process together. Our district serves over 7,000 students; staying united is critical. Mental health awareness is important. We are committed to helping our students and staff.”