Darice Ann, the mother of 7th grader Acadia Welch, recently shared a post revealing the severe bullying her daughter has faced at Arlington Memorial High School.
Her daughter, Acadia, is known as a bubbly, cheerful girl. She is an honor student, a member of the Student Council, and an incredible baseball player.
Last year, she was made captain of her baseball team, showing both skill and leadership.
Despite her achievements and outgoing personality, she was secretly struggling because of a bully at school.
A Mother from Arlington, Vermont, Shares Her Worries About Her Daughter’s Life as High School Fails to Take Action Against Repeated Bullying!
According to Darice, the bullying became so severe that Acadia attempted suicide.
Doctors have said they do not know how she survived, noting that “someone was watching over her.”
On the night of the attempt, Acadia appeared happy and engaged with her family.
She smiled, played games, and showed no outward signs of the emotional pain she was experiencing.
Darice explained that she and Acadia had reached out to Arlington Memorial High School multiple times about the bullying.
They also spoke with the parents of the student responsible for the bullying, who reportedly said their daughter “can say and do what she wants.”
Despite these repeated complaints, the school reportedly did not take effective action to protect Acadia.
Darice said that the school’s failure to intervene and discipline the bully nearly cost her daughter’s life.
Doctors advised Darice and Acadia’s stepfather to hire a lawyer, which they have done.
Darice emphasized that the school’s responsibility is to keep students safe while they are on campus, and in this case, that responsibility was not met.
Darice also made a public appeal to other parents. She urged anyone with children in seventh grade at Arlington Memorial High School who are being bullied to reach out to her.
She stressed the importance of acting before a tragedy occurs, saying she does not want to wake up one day to find her daughter has died because the school failed to address bullying.
Following Darice’s post, many have expressed their support for the little girl and their frustration with the school community.
One of Acadia’s coaches shared Darice’s post and spoke kind words about her, praising her character and strength. In the post, she said;
Acadia, you are soo loved and have a beautiful soul inside and out! Don’t forget that. We miss you at the baseball field! As your coach, I saw how helpful and kind you are to everyone around you. It is hard, but fight for yourself and give yourself compassion; you ARE needed in this world and you WILL make a difference! Brighter days are coming
Additionally, after Darice’s post, many parents have also expressed their own struggles, saying that Arlington High is not taking bullying seriously, which is affecting students’ lives.
As of now, the school officials have not made any statements, but Darice, along with many other parents, continues to raise their voices against bullying in the school.
