by Chris
Conte
NASHVILLE,
Tenn. - The mother of a
Sumner County Middle School students said her daughter tried to speak up about
being the victim of bullying but no one stepped in to stop it.
"Cheyanne (my
daughter) knows that I'm here and we talked about it and she says 'if it's
going to help other kids please go and talk about this,'" Shannon Lopez
said about opening up to the media about her 13-year-old's attempted suicide
last Tuesday.
This is the second time in
two weeks a Sumner County School system student has come forward after being
bullied.
"We've got a big
problem on our hands," said the mother of three.
Things had been going well
for Cheyanne this year. Her grades were up at Shafer Middle School but then a
few weeks ago, her mom said the bullying started.
"She did what she was
supposed to do, she went to a grown up she trusted and was looking for help and
didn't get it," said her mom said about the situation.
Cheyanne went to her
guidance counselor two or three times no one, her mom said, ever stepped in to
stop it. Then came last Tuesday.
"I can't even tell you
what it's like to get a phone call, saying 'mom I overdosed,' from your little
girl," Shannon explained holding back tears.
Shannon can't help but
think that her daughter did everything she was supposed to do.
"She said I didn't
know what else to do, nobody was listening and I asked her why didn't you tell
me, and she said 'I didn't want you to worry,"' Shannon adds.
But Shannon and Cheyanne
don't want this story to be about them. Yes, they want some accountability on
the part of the Sumner County school district but more than anything they don't
want it to happen again.
"I'm scared there are
other Cheyanne's out there that are not being heard or aren't being
protected," Shannon says.
The Sumner County School
district responded with this statement:
Our entire Shafer Middle School
community has been saddened by this unfortunate incident. Our principal has
been in daily contact with the mother of the student involved and has pledged
the full assistance and support of Shafer Middle School during this very
difficult time. Our director of schools has als o contacted the mother of the
student involved to express his support and has been closely monitoring this
situation.
Email: cconte@newschannel5.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/NC5ChrisConte
Twitter: Twitter.com/ChrisConte
