A Florida mother says she was left with no choice but to seek legal protection for her 13-year-old daughter after repeated efforts to stop bullying at her daughter’s school were ignored by school officials.
Tosha (a pseudonym to protect her identity) told local reporters that her daughter’s experience at Thomas E. Weightman Middle School in Pasco County began as early as the second day of school and quickly escalated into racial harassment, locker room bullying, and cyberbullying.
Bullying Ignored Despite Repeated Reports
Speaking to WFLA’s 8 On Your Side, Tosha said the school initially responded to the harassment with a “no contact” order, meant to keep the bully away from her daughter. But the harassment didn’t stop.
“I lost count of how many times I’ve been in the school,” Tosha said. “It was always, ‘We’re going to talk to the parents. We spoke to the child. It’s not going to happen again.’”
Despite her efforts, including escalating the case to the school district, requesting meetings with board members and even contacting the superintendent, Tosha says there was no serious intervention. Her daughter even told school officials she was afraid, yet Tosha claims the school continued to fall short in protecting her.
Legal Protection Through the Courts
As the situation worsened, Tosha turned to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, making at least six reports. Still, the bullying continued.
Feeling the school was failing to act, Tosha filed for a civil injunction, also known as a restraining order. A Pasco County judge granted the request, ruling that the bullying allegations were serious enough to legally prohibit the accused student from stalking or contacting Tosha’s daughter.
But even after the injunction was granted, Tosha says the same student continued to violate both the court order and the school’s no-contact rule.
Final School Report Confirms Bullying – But No Punishment
In what may be the most troubling part of the ordeal, the school eventually issued a formal report acknowledging that Tosha’s daughter had been the victim of bullying, cyberbullying, and harassment — all committed by the same student.
However, no disciplinary action was taken against the accused bully. Instead, Tosha says the school handed her a student transfer form, essentially suggesting she remove her daughter from the school rather than address the behavior of the alleged bully.
“Their final conclusion was that she has indeed been bullied,” Tosha said. “And instead of giving any type of consequences to the child, they gave me a paper that says you can now move your child outside of school.”
District Responds, But Stays Vague
When WFLA contacted the Pasco County School District, officials said they were prohibited by Florida law from discussing specific student cases, citing confidentiality protections. No further public comments were made regarding whether any disciplinary action was taken.
Community Outrage and Legal Questions
Tosha’s story has sparked outrage among parents and child advocates, many of whom say the situation raises serious questions about school accountability and whether Florida schools are doing enough to protect students from bullying.
Some have questioned why the school didn’t act on the judge’s injunction, and others have called for clearer anti-bullying policies with real consequences for repeated offenders.