Source: Screenshot / CBS DFW
A Plano, Texas, mother is rallying her community for support after she claims her son was subjugated to extreme bullying during a sleepover with white classmates last month.
Summer Smith told CBSDFW that her son SeMarion Humphrey, 13, has sustained repeated instances of bullying while attending Haggard Middle School. Despite her attempts to protect her son by reporting the abuse to school administrators for months, nothing has been done, Smith claims.
Smith said the bullying became even more violent when her son was fooled into attending a sleepover at a classmates home. She says she believes that her son was befriended by a classmate a month prior to the sleepover as part of a planned effort to orchestrate the incident.
“It was premeditated and it was obvious that SeMarion was only invited for their pure entertainment,” Smith said during a news conference on Friday.
“How horrible must you be. This is not a prank. This is beyond bullying. You are evil, they are evil,” Smith said during a Friday news conference.
In a video posted to Facebook Smith expressed her frustration and sadness and claimed that her son forced to drink urine, shot with BB guns and called racial slurs while he attempted to sleep.
Smith said her SeMarion confided in one of his coaches about the bullying but was told “boys will be boys.”
“This is going to change, and I mean that,” Smith said.
In response to the viral Facebook post law enforcement is working in conjunction with the Plano Independent School District (ISD) to investigate the incident. School administrators have yet to specifically respond to Smith’s allegations that no actions were taken after she reported the bullying.
“Due to legal restrictions regarding the confidentiality of student information, Plano ISD is unable to release specific student information, but it can confirm appropriate measures were promptly taken to protect the victim and to investigate the allegations,” reads a statement by Plano ISD.
“Plano ISD does not condone bullying, harassment, and/or threats against any student. It is the District’s hope and expectation that all parties work collaboratively to create a climate of mutual respect even in the midst of disagreement.”
Plano ISD will have to find a way to address violence against Black students in an environment where the idea of diversity is not widespread. According to the Texas Tribune, Plano ISD is majority white, where Black students only make up 12.9 percent of the school district’s population.
A Change.org petition in support of SeMarion has over 5,000 signatures. Community members also staged a protest for SeMarion ahead of Smith’s news conference last week.
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