BUFFALO, Mo.- One parent in Buffalo, Missouri is speaking out after his daughter had become the subject of several racist encounters at school and on the bus.
Timothy Alfred says he met with Buffalo Middle School officials to address how his child was being treated.
He says it started early this year.
“My daughter came home from school, upset somebody was making racial slurs to her and I asked her what she did about it. She went to the office. They told her that they couldn’t do anything about it because it was not directed toward her. But she is the only African American kid in class.” said Alfred.
He says the behavior continued…
“They did a little investigation and kids said it did not happen, but clearly it did even happen in class out loud, and kids was laughing about it,” said Alfred.
Alfred says at least one student has been disciplined for these encounters, but that does not erase what has already happened.
“We’re in November right now. This has been going on since the end of August. You know, constantly, you know, we called to get their bus changed several times” said Alfred, “My daughter was being sexually harassed on the bus and we came to an agreement about getting my kids on a different bus.”
The father even reached out to the Springfield NAACP for help.
Misty McIntosh with the Springfield NAACP says “For kids, for their mental psyche, is this damaging. I mean, if you tell somebody they’re terrible long enough, they will begin to believe it.”
She says the student was clearly affected by these encounters.
“The child in Buffalo, she was having physical you know, physical responses to the treatment that she was receiving. She told her parents; I don’t want to go to school. I’m feeling sick to my stomach” said McIntosh.
Alfred says he is hoping to speak up for those being bullied, not just his child.
“I’m just want to be the voice for meaning, you know, for people who are afraid to speak up, for those kids that are, you know, down in the press for being different from their race, their sexuality, whatever, you know, handicaps, disabilities or whatever.” said Alfred “Several people are tired of their kids being mistreated. I mean, kids now commit suicide in this community over bullying. I mean, it needs to stop. They need stricter policies with it.”
Ozarks First spoke to superintendent Tim Ryan today on the phone multiple times in the past several days who says the district has no comment on this situation.