CHICAGO (WLS) — Families are speaking out about what they describe as chronic bullying in Chicago-area schools, saying their children were not adequately protected and, in some cases, were forced to change schools while the alleged bullies faced little accountability.
The families shared their concerns with the ABC7 I-Team, arguing that more needs to be done to protect students despite Illinois laws requiring schools to address bullying.
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During a meeting with several parents, ABC7 Investigator Jason Knowles asked: “And raise your hand if you feel as though the school didn’t do enough.” All of the parents present raised their hands.
Yue Zhao said her third-grade daughter, Vivienne, suffered serious injuries after ongoing bullying. Zhao shared photographs she said showed her daughter lost teeth in an incident at Chicago Public Schools’ Nettelhorst School of Fine and Performing Arts.
“She from the back pushed her to the ground as hard as possible. So my daughter, and my daughter, there was a mouth was open because she pushed her. And so that’s where her teeth hit on the ground,” Zhao said.
According to Zhao, her daughter now has permanent damage and is unable to eat certain foods. Zhao said she reported ongoing bullying for months to school leaders.
Other parents described similar experiences.
Katie and Todd Burrows said their third-grade son endured bullying at Forest Road School in La Grange Park despite their repeated pleas to administrators.
“No action was taken and there was no accountability. There was no change in the behavior,” Katie Burrows said.
“He was shoved into a closet and held with the light off, clawing at the door to get out,” she said.
Anna Levin-Rosen said her 8-year-old son was bullied at the Ancona School in Kenwood and is no longer enrolled there.
“And one day he was jumped on by three boys in his class, and the school didn’t notify us. And when he told me about it, he was shaking. And when we talked to the school, they said, well, we we investigated and it turned out they were just pulling on his sleeve,” Levin-Rosen said.
Rita Allen said her daughter, then a freshman at Chicago Bulls College Prep, was bullied by a group of girls.
“She was very, very depressed. And it just hurt me because she was like, mommy. She texted me while I was at work and was like, mommy, I’m not okay,” Allen said.
Allen said her daughter ultimately left the school.
Chicago Bulls College Prep told the I-Team it was “we are saddened by…” what the family experienced and said it responded to each concern, while acknowledging that its actions did not change her “…experience or the impact it had on her.” The school also said it continued to support Allen and her daughter after she left.
The other schools involved did not comment specifically on the cases but said they take bullying allegations seriously and have state-required policies that mandate investigations, including interviews with students and witnesses and steps to stop the behavior. The schools also said counseling support is available. Some noted that not every student conflict meets the legal definition of bullying.
Rose Bronstein, who brought many of the families together, founded the nonprofit Buckets over Bullying after the death of her 15-year-old son, Nate, whom she describes as a victim of cyberbullying.
“We were blindsided,” Bronstein said.
“A parent came to me with documentation, printed out documentation of some of the cyberbullying that he had endured,” she said.
As ABC7 reported in 2022, Bronstein said a message thread circulated throughout the school and claimed school officials knew about it.
She is suing the Latin School of Chicago on several claims, including consumer fraud. A judge dismissed a wrongful death claim, and Bronstein and her attorney are appealing.
Danielle Gould, a partner at Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella, P.C., said, “It is a claim brought by this family … The school is responsible for failing to inform the parents of the bullying.”
In its response to the lawsuit, Latin School denied the allegations.
“Student safety is a top priority at Latin. Bullying is not tolerated, and violations of our policy are addressed immediately. We welcome constructive ideas for strengthening our policies and practices in support of student health and well-being,” the school told the I-Team.
Illinois law requires schools to maintain bullying policies, and lawmakers have expanded those protections over the years to address cyberbullying. However, the parents and advocates interviewed said there is no clear process for families to report concerns when they believe schools are not enforcing those policies.
“And yet our kids go to the one other place that they should be the safest in the world, which is school outside of our home. And it’s it’s chaos. It’s absolute chaos,” Todd Burrows said.
Gov. JB Pritzker’s office told the I-Team that current laws require schools to ensure bullying policies are followed and that the administration is open to discussing possible updates to the law. The governor’s office noted that any changes would ultimately have to come through the legislative process.
The I-Team also contacted several lawmakers involved in drafting the state’s bullying law about concerns raised by families who say schools may not be enforcing existing policies but had not received responses by the time of publication.
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