Enough w/ the principal on to the Superintendent

Dear Mr. B***,

My name is Michelle ******** and I am the mother of an autistic first grader that is mainstreamed at ****** Elementary school. We have had an issue this entire school year with my son being bullied by several children on his school bus. Our first reaction was to pull him off the school bus and not have him subjected to these children. However, our second car became unreliable so we needed to have him start taking the bus again. The bullying immediately started back up. I wait with him at the bus stop, to prevent it there, but once he’s on the bus there is no one to protect him. I contacted our advocate and asked her what I should do. She told me in her experience school’s take bullying very seriously and to go to the principal. I emailed Mr. K*****, who failed to respond at the time, but who later told me he had received my email. A few weeks later after realizing it was not being taken care of, I told my son to tell Mr. K******* any time there was an incident, which he did more than once…the problem continued. I told my son to tell the bus driver, which he did twice and both times my son was told by the bus driver that he couldn't get involved. Finally my husband and I completely frustrated and exhausted by the lack of action made an appointment with Mr. K*******. We called him on a Monday, and were told he could see us on Thursday. During the week he finally called the 4 children who my son can identify (there are other children who my son doesn’t know who are friends of these children who are also involved). We were assured the children were warned and this would stop, finally. As a precaution my son was moved to the front of the bus and these children were not supposed to sit by him. Unfortunately one of the children, who has been the “ring leader” if you will, moved up to the front to sit by my son. It is obvious this is a blatant attempt to intimidate my son, as obviously she is not sitting by him to hang out with him. My son told the bus driver she wasn’t supposed to sit by him, and the bus driver again refused to do anything. I again called the principal who said he would remind the bus driver these children are not aloud near my son. I’m sorry but I don’t think that is enough, she was given her chance to leave my son alone, and she didn’t! My child is completely terrified of this girl and her family, who (even the parents) has threatened my son with physical harm. My son often has nightmares about these children teasing him, and threatening him to the point that he has missed school. I am a very patient person, but I’m completely exhausted, frustrated, and at the end of my rope with this situation. I have given the school two months to solve the issue, which I think is more than adequate. I’m done being nice and waiting for this to end. I am now demanding a solution to this problem. My son should feel safe on the bus, and he does not! Every time he is bullied since it was brought to the schools attention months ago, is a direct result of failure to act on the schools part. If I have to contact every advocacy group, news paper, the mayor, and a lawyer this will stop! I have been far too patient for far too long, and I am angry and done now. I would appreciate your diligence in this matter.Thank you for your time.