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Bullying at Saucon: Student Says Kids Called ‘Dirty Hippo,’ ‘Farm Girl’ (Letter)

A Saucon Valley High School student says other students have been called names like ‘skeleton legs’ and made fun of because they live on farms.

Est. Read Time: 2 mins

Note: This letter, titled “Bullying in Saucon Valley School District,” is published with the permission of the student’s parents. The subject of bullying and racially-motivated harassment was discussed at the Saucon Valley School Board meeting this week. Last month, racist remarks about a high school student allegedly made by another student in a video provoked a fight between the two teens at the Homecoming Pep Rally, according to police. Charges have been filed in that case. To help protect the identity of this student, Saucon Source has withheld her name.

To the editor:

My name is [REDACTED]. I am 14 years old and a freshman at Saucon Valley High School. This is not a new topic, not even close. I have gone to Saucon Valley since (I) was in kindergarten. I am very involved with my school and do multiple activities. Because of this I have been able to become a part of multiple friend groups. There has been incidents in every single one. I have gone to counselors with friends that were too scared to face things alone. I have gone to the principal with them when counseling helped nothing. I have even faced this myself. I believe that the best way to resolve things is to get the word out of the school. Things usually stay hush hush and hidden at Saucon’s tiny campus and that is wrong. People who are not the same size as most shouldn’t be called “dirty hippo” or “skeleton legs.” People who grew up differently than those of us who live in town shouldn’t be called “farm girl” or told things like “you have no money because you live on a farm.” These are all real examples that have happened. People shouldn’t be put in a situation where they feel so full of nothingness that they end their own lives. But one thing is more important than all of that. The people who make people feel this way should NEVER be able to get away with it ever again. Saucon Valley staff does a great job of telling us that there is a zero tolerance rule. One thing they aren’t too good at is enforcing that. Thank you.

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About the author

Josh Popichak

Josh Popichak is the owner, publisher and editor of Saucon Source. A Lehigh Valley native, he's covered local news since 2005 and previously worked for Berks-Mont News and AOL/Patch. Contact him at josh@sauconsource.com.

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