Bullying is something that can negatively affect one’s life.
No matter what the situations are, it will never be okay to bully or get bullied. Even though decades may pass, its huge impact can scar someone forever.
When a Texas man stood in front of a school board, he shared a story of how bullying had impacted him when he was a child.
Greg Barret started by saying that his legal name is Greg Gay. Because of his name, he was bullied multiple times and became the subject of daily mistreatment.
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“I started out and I had teachers that bullied me, I had kids that bullied me, even the coaches. I had nobody to turn to,” he said. Barret also shared one particular day that has stuck with him his whole life.
“One day at lunch, I had my head shoved in a urinal where it busted my lip. I laid on the ground in a fetal position as the kids kicked me,” he expressed.
“I got up, rinsed my face off, I walked out of the lunchroom, walked straight to the principal’s office, and he told me that these kids would grow up someday. They won’t always be like this.”
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“But yet, here I am, covered in urine from lying on the ground under the urinal. And they sent me home.”
His sad story didn’t end there. He also admitted that after he had gone home, he took out his father’s gun and put it in his mouth. As a child, the impact of bullying was too big to handle, and he wanted to commit suicide.
“Because at this point I had nobody — nobody in the school system — to help me,” he explained. “Is that the way this is going to be?”
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That’s when Barrett pointed to Superintendent Lance Hindt and said, “Lance, you were the one that shoved my head into the urinal.”
Barrett immediately left the podium, and Hindt simply laughed off his statement. Out of view, Barett asked, “Do you want to debate? Because I got witnesses that were there when it happened.”
Superintendent Hindt soon released a statement claiming that what Barrett said wasn’t true.
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“It was difficult for me to listen to a gentleman Monday night recount a bullying incident he said occurred more than 35 years ago,” he said.
“As superintendent in three school districts in Texas, I have always tried to create an environment where every student is safe — physically and emotionally. But when an individual impugns my character and reputation as the instigator of those actions, I am disappointed because it simply is not true.”
He also explained that the principal of their school never allowed such behavior to take place. “I do not suggest that Mr. Barrett was not bullied, only that I was not part of it. Bullying is wrong. Period. It was then and it is today,” his statement said.
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That same day, another local businessman came forward and validated Barrett’s claims. He said that Hindt was a bully since middle school, even in high school. Despite the accusations, the school board stood behind the former bully.
“The board fully vetted Dr. Lance Hindt before hiring him two years ago,” said Katy ISD board president Ashley Vann. “His strong leadership and fulfillment of our vision since then has affirmed our decision. We stand united with Dr. Hindt today.”
When Barrett’s video gone viral, one boy from the bullying incident quickly apologized to him. He also hopes that Hindt would acknowledge what he did and apologize as well.
Houston Chronicle
“People change. They do stupid stuff when they’re young,” Barret expressed. “I just want him to acknowledge it, say he’s sorry and make some changes so this doesn’t continue to happen.”
What are your thoughts on this? Do you agree that bullying can scar someone’s life forever? Let us know what you think in the comments below! Don’t forget to SHARE this post to remind all people of the negative impacts of bullying.