SNYDER, Texas — Snyder ISD has implemented new changes to its bullying policy. The changes went into effect just days after a mother asked for bullying in the school district to stop after her daughter, who attends Snyder Junior High, was bullied for years.
The worst bullying incident, according to Michelle Truelock, occurred when her daughter, Cari Truelock, was persuaded by other students to eat Orbeez. Orbeez are water beads that swell when they get wet and pose a choking hazard.
Michelle Truelock told her story to KTXS News last Friday, saying her daughter had a great experience at school this week.
“Now that everyone has seen the news, everyone likes me,” Cari Truelock said. “Literally everyone has seen it. I’m really happy.”
“She had a great week every day,” Michelle Truelock said. “On Monday she didn’t want to go to school. When she came home that day she had a great day. She had a great day on Tuesday and a great day today.”
Michelle Truelock says when Snyder ISD heard her cry for help that the bullying had to stop, the school district listened. The mother says her daughter is finally getting the protection she needs and is being monitored throughout the day.
“I don’t want it to stop with Cari,” Michelle Truelock said. “There’s something ugly and evil happening in these schools when these kids are bullied. Enough is enough. It has to stop.”
On August 17, Snyder ISD issued the following statement:
On Friday, August 16th at 9:54 a.m., Snyder ISD administration was notified via email of allegations of bullying at one of our schools and that these would be featured in an upcoming news report by a regional news channel. We want to assure our community that Snyder ISD takes all allegations of bullying extremely seriously and we are currently thoroughly investigating these allegations.
Our top priority is the safety and well-being of our students. To facilitate a prompt response to allegations of bullying or other incidents where the safety of students or staff is at risk, we ask that parents and guardians contact their school counselor or principal immediately if they have concerns or information about this or any other incident. In addition, Snyder ISD offers an anonymous reporting process to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to report any information or behavior that is troubling. This includes concerns about weapons, threats, fighting, drugs, self-harm, suicide, harassment, bullying, or other behavior or disclosure of concern, whether directed to you, observed by you, reported to you by someone else, and/or observed online. To facilitate this process, concerns may be submitted anonymously (if desired) using the See Something, Say Something form available in English and Spanish on our website: snyderisd.net/safety.
Moving forward, Snyder ISD will investigate the specific concerns reported by the news outlet and review when and how the concerns were reported, how and if procedures were followed, and what supports needed to be implemented. Our goal is to provide a safe and supportive environment for every student.
We thank our community for their cooperation as we work hard to resolve this issue.
After Snyder ISD completed its investigation, they issued the following statement on August 19th.
At Snyder ISD, the safety and well-being of our students is our top priority and we wanted to provide you with an update on our communications on Saturday. After a thorough investigation into recent bullying allegations, we have identified several areas for improvement and have already begun implementing new measures to strengthen our processes and better protect our students.
The most important steps include:
1. Improved intercampus communication: We are establishing a district-wide system to ensure that bullying reports are communicated effectively as students move between campuses and grades. This system will include an annual intercampus meeting overseen by a district administrator each June.
2. Immediate notification to the Director of Student Services: All cases of suspected bullying will now be immediately reported by campus administration to the Director of Student Services to ensure prompt and appropriate action.
3. Improvements to the If You See Something, Say Something Form: We have enhanced the If You See Something, Say Something form to improve information collection and added a feature that allows users to upload evidence. We strongly encourage parents, students, and staff to use this form to formally document concerns while also promptly notifying a staff member of any issues. All staff members are required to submit bullying reports using this form to centralize documentation and ensure consistent follow-up and compliance by the Director of Student Services.
4. Improved reporting accessibility: To make it easier for everyone to report bullying or safety concerns, QR codes and web addresses pointing to the See Something, Say Something form will be posted on all campuses by 8 a.m. Tuesday. In addition, a dedicated button has been added to the district website for increased visibility, and links to the form are also available on ParentSquare.
5. Special Education Considerations: If a student receiving special education is involved in a bullying incident, either as a victim or as an aggressor, the district will promptly convene an ARD meeting to assess and implement any additional interventions needed.
6. Daily Status Notifications: Once a bullying report is submitted, the campus will provide parents or guardians with daily status updates until the investigation is fully completed to ensure transparency and ongoing communication.
7. District-wide bullying program: We are currently exploring the implementation of a tested district-wide bullying prevention program to further enhance our efforts.
We are committed to taking these steps to create a safe, supportive and inclusive environment for all Snyder ISD students.
“I want to thank my mom for being brave enough to come on the news and help stop bullying,” Cari Truelock said.”
