May 27, 2008 8:16 pm US/Eastern
Bizarre Bullying Slashes Attendance At NYC School
High Schoolers At Brooklyn's 'Foundation Academy' Too Scared To Go To Class In Fear Of Middle Schoolers
BROOKLYN (CBS) ―
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Too scared to go to school? That's what's happening to some students in Brooklyn, where attendance has plunged because of an unusual bullying problem.
CBS
Too scared to go to school? That's what's happening to some students in Brooklyn, where attendance has plunged because of an unusual bullying problem.
High school students are skipping out on class - but not to have a good time, but because they are afraid of middle schoolers.
High school can be difficult on teenagers, but what's happening to the students at Foundations Academy in Brooklyn goes beyond the norm.
"We can't be in class and in that environment. We have to think about what's gonna happen to us outside," said high school student Ryan Celestine.
This year, the high school joined three other schools already in the building. Foundation students say they have been scared of Urban Environment Middle School students since a fight broke out during a bake sale back in April. According to students, the younger kids recruited friends and relatives from the Tompkins Houses to threaten them.
"They have family in the projects and they came to intimidate us," said student Clarence.
"I know some of my friends walk to the J train, they were already chased by guys in their cars that showed them their guns already. I try to go to the G train as fast as possible," said Celestine.
Things have gotten so bad that on Friday, May 23, only 27 percent of high schoolers showed up for school. According to a school volunteer its because the younger kids aren't afraid of being punished.
"Because the high school kids would get into more trouble than the middle schoolers," said Cecelia Bonner.
But according to the New York City School's chancellor, the problem is being addressed.
"The attendance is way back up. There may have been some threats on a particular day that led to those concerns, but the attendance is back up and in terms of actual events at the school, we're sure that the school has been safe," said Chancellor Joel Kline.
To fix the problem, the Department of Education is sending extra safety officers here to the school, explaining to CBS 2 that the officers know how to handle this sort of problem. A Department of Education representative said no arrests have been made and no one has been seriously hurt.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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