The assault was back in 2016, during the election run. And, I did consider pressing charges. But, after a week's suspension, one of the boys (the instigator who had a list of bullying disciplinary actions in his record) was transferred to the modern version of disciplinary schools. The other boy who was part of the assault went into social learning therapy, but remained at the school. They were both white boys from affluent families. In fact, the school was in an affluent neighborhood in the public school system.
I had gotten my son placed there because it had previously featured an excellent ADHD and Autism/Aspbergers IEP. Sadly, the new principal – who took over the year my son enrolled – dismantled the IEP team and turned it into nothing more than remedial classes or behavioral sequestering.
Ultimately, I didn't pull him out because he didn't want to be forced out and he didn't want to have leave his friends. When the slurs began, most of his classmates rallied around him and he formed some very close friendships. He became rather popular, actually. And, his tech savvy made him the school's go-to for tech support needs – even the county IT guys knew him and would consult him about the school's systems.
With those friends and a teacher who recognized his gifts, he started and tech club that remains popular at the school today – and from which many of the members go on to STEM programs in schools around the county. Our county allows you to apply to any school within the county, no matter where you live.
Thankfully, my son's elementary school IEP had already done the work of helping find ways to achieve with his ADHD. In elementary school, he'd been a solid A and B grade student. At the middle school, I kept letting them convince me he still needed the program, mainly because in middle school, he was barely passing his classes. When I finally listened to him and pulled him out of the program in the last year there, his grades shot up and he left there on the honor roll.
In fact, he got himself into a much sought after prestigious magnate high school, specifically into their health sciences career academy (HACA). And, the other academy (STEM) at that high school spent the first two years trying to poach him for their academy because he's a bit of a tech phenom and a minor county IT celebrity. Not only was he the only student from that middle school to every get in at the time – and lots of kids applied – he graduated with honors as a fully certified EMT. He's working right now as an EMT in the county's apprenticeship program. The county is paying for him to get his paramedic degree… all while working for an excellent salary with exemplary benefits.
He really did get the final say, IME.
