When you send your child to school, you trust them with what is the most precious to you. When your child is different (autism), you expect them to be even more careful.

That is what I believed on the morning of March 13th, 2017 when I drop him of to school.

Kayson was 12. He does not like school. He does not express himself much in busy surroundings, he reacts by closing himself from people around him, he is also high pain tolerance and does not react like others when he gets hurt. It takes a lot for him to complain… so when he told me 3 years prior to this event that kids were bullying him, I acted right away. During those 3 years, I sent e-mails, had meetings, requested help to stop what was happening. Nothing was seriously done against the constant bullying my son was going through (hitting his cap, hiding his lunch box, pushing….) to the point where his doctor partially withdraws him (3 days out of 5) from school for close 3 months.  On the morning of March 13th, 2017. I had sent an e-mail about intimidation that happen on March 12th, 2017 and that I would like it would be looked in. At recess that day, my son was bullied once again, pushed to the ground…there was no supervision.

                                       The result: a broken femur.

The teachers on duties tried to put my son back on his legs 3 times, imagine the pain!!! He had then to wait 36 hours before surgery, because nowhere in the Maritimes had the required equipment’s, they had to get them from Ontario. He lost the rest of his school year, had and still does physio from time to times. He is still traumatised about what he had to go through.

I had to do something, I went to the police, and they couldn’t do a real investigation because the children involved were under 12 at the time.

I sat with the Education Minister from the former government, even if he agreed that bullying was an issue, he didn’t think it should be in the School Act.

The French school board was also met they told me that I should hear back from them…. But I am still waiting.

I gave it a lot of thought…. Lost a lot of sleep over it.

How is it possible in our society a child could be harasse for so long without the institutions in place doing anything to avoid it? If something like that would happen under your supervision… I am sure tons of questions would be asked and maybe even child services would be involved!

I felt I had to do something about that… for my son and for other victims of intimidation. Prince Edward Island(PEI) is one of the only provinces in Canada who doesn’t have any anti-bullying legislation and don’t seems to be interested to move on that side. The school boards implement some anti-bullying programs followed better in some schools then others… but not much is done when it was time to help my son… and probably other children in the case.

So… I went to see a lawyer. We worked on a statement of claim for months, collecting facts and information.

That is extremely costly…. I paid the first part and will do as far as possible, but this is where I need your help to pay the fees of my lawyer.

I ask you please, help bring a change to stop bullying in PEI schools.

Thank you!