ELIDA — An Elida Middle School student who came out as gay last year is saying he’s being bullied and school officials are ignoring his complaints.
Dylan Gross, 15, said that the harassment has gotten so bad that he is now struggling in school and may not pass the eighth grade.
“It has gradually gotten worse,” Dylan said. “Now it is hard to get through a day.”
Dylan came out early in the seventh grade, which was last year. Ever since, he says he has been bombarded with name-calling and mockery. Some examples he gave were being laughed at by a school employee in the lunch room after he was called “faggot” by another student, and being told by another student that he couldn’t believe in God if he were gay and that he would burn in hell.
Dylan claimed that he told vice principal Nick Morris about being called “faggot,” but he said Morris said it wasn’t harassment, it was criticism. He said he has also approached principal Doug Drury several times. Dylan said officials tell him it will be addressed, but nothing ever gets done.
Attempts to contact Drury were unsuccessful. Elida superintendent Joel Hatfield returned a call and said he would be the only representative at the school speaking on the issue while the matter is being investigated.
“This matter was just brought to my attention today,” Hatfield said. “There is an investigation into the matter, and it is being looked at right now. Because of disclosure and protection of students, it certainly puts us at a disadvantage. It is a situation that may make us look a lot worse than what is actually happening. However, we cannot comment on it right now.”
Dylan moved to Elida with his mother and other relatives after his father died. He had attended Celina schools, where his mother, Latasha Gross, said he was a good student.
“He has always struggled with math, but otherwise he is pretty much an A-B student,” Latasha Gross said.
She said the problems have caused for high stress levels in the home. She said they have gone to school officials at least 30 times in Dylan’s two years at the middle school.
“He comes home and is upset,” Latasha Gross said. “His school work suffers for it. Every time we make a complaint, it seems it is swept under the rug.”
The Grosses said they have contacted Lambda Legal for help. It is a national legal organization whose mission is to achieve full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and those with HIV through impact litigation, education and public policy work.
Dylan said the problems are coming predominantly from what he defined as the “popular” or “preppy” group. He said he does have a few friends that have gave him support. He said his teachers at the district with the exception of one have not condoned the bullying but have not been aggressive enough in preventing it. Both Dylan and his mother said he is now taking anxiety and depression medications as a result.
Dylan said he would like to see sexual orientation and gender identity included in the student handbook bullying policy. He said he would also like to see a gay/straight alliance started at the school.
“I know there are other kids having problems, too,” Dylan said. “We just want to feel safe.”
