OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) – Burke High School administrators are investigating a reported case of bullying against a student who is deaf.
Someone took student Alex Hernandez’s backpack during the lunch period on Wednesday and dumped his tablet, school supplies, homework and debit card in a toilet. It also contained his cochlear implant – without it, he can’t hear.
He immediately told administrators his backpack was missing. They helped him look for it but were unsuccessful. That’s when security reviewed surveillance video and saw two unidentifiable male students walk off with his bag. Hernandez says he didn’t know either of them.”Those students think it’s okay to bully a deaf student, but it’s not. It’s not okay to bully someone who is disabled, deaf or hard of hearing,” says Hernandez. “Or anyone for that matter.”
“Those students think it’s okay to bully a deaf student, but it’s not. It’s not okay to bully someone who is disabled, deaf or hard of hearing,” says Hernandez. “Or anyone for that matter.” Hernandez, who has been deaf since he was one-year-old, says he’s been through years of bullying and jokes because of his disability, but adds this whole incident has left him feeling unsafe to go back to school.
“This just got out of hand. There’s too much bullying, too much drama, too much fighting, it’s just not nice,” says Hernandez. What upset him the most, was that they ruined his English project.
According to KETV, teachers at Burke High School in Omaha, Nebraska, helped Hernandez replace his notebooks, and classmates created a GoFundMe page to help him replace his damaged items. They surpassed their fundraising goal — $800 — in three days.