Recently, Niagara Action began publishing a series of stories illustrating a culture of bullying, assaults, and harassment at North Tonawanda City Schools.
Click Headlines to Read Prior Stories
North Tonawanda Schools Face Backlash Over Failure to Protect Students from Bullying
A Culture of Unreported Violence: North Tonawanda Schools Part 1 (videos of physical altercations included)
Former Assistant Principal Rachel Ross Protects Bullies: North Tonawanda Schools Part 2 (audio recording of Ross yelling at student included)
Student Beaten after Principal Rowles Fails to Act: North Tonawanda Schools Part 3 (video of physical altercation included)
Special Education Student Locked in Bathroom and Beaten: North Tonawanda Schools Part 4
Assault Victim Punished Instead of Bully: North Tonawanda Schools Part 5
Victim of Explicit Photo Dissemination Suspended: North Tonawanda Schools Part 6
Special Education Student Bullied by Teachers: North Tonawanda Schools Part 7
Gym Teacher Ryan Mountain Watching Girls Change: North Tonawanda Schools Part 8
After the articles circulated throughout the community, several parents, current and former students submitted their experiences via email to us. Their stories amounted to a simple conclusion: there is a refusal to protect students in North Tonawanda.
This series is based on a combination of first-hand narratives and investigative reporting. Narratives/allegations from those who experienced it will be posted without any redaction and/or modifications. That is their truth, and we are not here to take that away from them. We do not post them as fact, but rather as what these individuals experienced.
If you would like to share your own experience with North Tonawanda Schools and any of the issues raised throughout this article, please email us at niagaraaction@gmail.com.
STORY OF CURRENT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT WHO WAS BULLIED, ASSAULTED IN FRONT OF ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AND NOTHING WAS DONE (TOLD BY HER COUSIN)
My cousin, who goes to North Tonawanda High School, gave me permission to share her story.
She was best friends with a girl who recorded her changing and send it to a bunch of people. As you can imagine, they were not friends afterward.
This girl constantly harassed my cousin starting in 8th grade, which then continued into 9th. She spread terrible rumors about her. To make matters worse, her mother screamed profanities at my cousin and taunted her about a tragic family incident that was told to her former best friend, and now bully, in confidence.
Her mother yelling at my cousin was done in front of the school and within earshot of dozens of students.
The former best friend also teamed up with a 19-year-old girl who threatened to jump my cousin. She reported the situation to Assistant Principal Rachel Wagner SEVERAL TIMES. My aunt called the school about it and the most they were able to do was get a “no contact order,” which they also referred to as a “cease and desist” and a “school restraining order.” This happened while my cousin was in 9th grade.
The document, which was signed by both students without the knowledge or consent of a parent, was a valid contract according to the school, which meant that you could be suspended for violating it. The document was meant to keep my cousin and her former best friend on different floors.
Shocker, it didn’t work.
Administration did force her to write my cousin an apology letter, which was one sentence long.
During Lumberfest, my cousin was left alone while friends went to go get food. Within a few minutes, the former best friend was pushing her and screaming at her, accusing my cousin of saying something to her brother.
When she was shoved, my cousin’s phone was slapped out of her hand, fell on the ground, and broke. This occurred DIRECTLY in front of Assistant Principal Wagner. Not only was she not disciplined, but she was permitted to play in the powderpuff game, which is a flag football game.
My cousin went up to Assistant Principal Wagner and reiterated what happened. She asked why the girl was still playing in the powderpuff game even though she got into a fight earlier that day and harassed a student.
Assistant Principal Wagner looked and her and said, “life isn't fair,” that there’s “nothing she can do about it,” and that my cousin needs to “suck it up [because] that’s how high school works.”
These are things a principal should never say to a student, let alone the victim of bullying.
There were multiple police reports filed before the incident that Assistant Principal Wagner witnessed at Lumberfest. The police did get involved with one rather egregious bullying incident that occurred while my cousin was in 8th grade and the former best friend had to do community service due to a court order. I can’t go into detail, but the girl bullying my cousin broke the law and it was horrific the boundaries she crossed.
Despite knowing the history between my cousin and this other student, the school and Assistant Principal Wagner did not take my cousin seriously when she sought protection several times prior to the Lumberfest incident. Assistant Principal Wagner witnessed the bullying and assault herself, yet failed to act. She is no better than the girl who bullied my cousin.
My aunt did go to the police regarding the assault at Lumberfest, but the police said nothing could be done due to the lack of quality video footage on surveillance cameras at the school.
If you would like to share your own experience with North Tonawanda Schools and any of the issues raised throughout this article, please email us at niagaraaction@gmail.com.
Assistant Principal Rachel Wagner Witnesses Assault and Does Nothing: North Tonawanda Schools Part 8