There’s a conversation happening in the Mohawk Valley right now—and it ain’t a quiet one.

A student in the West Canada Valley school district says bullying has been happening repeatedly during the school day, including name-calling, harassment, and even physical behavior like shoving and having items taken from them.

According to the student, the situation has been reported multiple times—not just once, not just twice—but to both a school counselor and the principal.

And still… it’s happening.

The student says the response they’ve received has mostly been to “ignore it” or that they are older and shouldn’t let it get to them. But the reality on the ground tells a different story.

The behavior hasn’t stopped.
In fact, the student says it’s become a daily issue.

They also report that others have witnessed what’s going on, but fear of speaking up has kept some students quiet. Even when witnesses are present, the student says they’re often told they need “proof” for anything to be done.

Let that sink in for a second.

We’re talking about a situation where:

  • Incidents are happening regularly
  • Staff have been notified
  • Witnesses exist
  • And yet, no meaningful change has followed

The student says the situation has gotten to the point where they feel unsafe in certain areas of the school, even avoiding places like bathrooms out of fear of things escalating further.

That’s not just “kids being kids.”
That’s a problem.

And here’s where the bigger question comes in—

What is the responsibility of a school when something is reported multiple times and continues anyway?

Because telling a student to ignore bullying might work on paper…
…but in real life, it doesn’t stop someone from getting shoved, harassed, or targeted day after day.

It just teaches the person doing it that nothing’s going to happen.