A middle school boy in Delaware has now dropped his last name “Trump” after being bullied at school.
The New York Post reports:
“The parents of Joshua Trump, a student at Talley Middle School in Wilmington, claim their son started getting teased by classmates when Donald Trump first announced plans to run for the White House in June 2015.”
Even after a year of homeschooling, the bullying has risen to such aggressive and troubling levels since Joshua Trump’s return to the classroom that officials in the Brandywine School District have agreed to let him use his father’s surname instead, WPVI reports.
“He was getting ridiculed and bullied for the fact that his last name was Trump,” father Bobby Berto told the station. “I pulled him out of school and homeschooled him for a year.”
Joshua’s parents thought the bullying would stop as their son moved into middle school, but those hopes were soon dashed, they said.
“They curse at him, they call him an idiot, they call him stupid,” the boy’s mother, Megan Trump, told WPVI.
Trump and Berto met with school officials to discuss their Joshua’s previous issues with his name. Principal Mark Mayer acknowledged that the boy’s last name has become an issue at the 800-student school, with some teachers even taking steps to not even say his name aloud.
“I do know the teachers were aware of the last name, and I know in speaking with the student that the teachers do their very best to try not to say his last name,” Mayer said.
Five students were identified during an investigation into the bullying claims. They have all been disciplined, Mayer said.
“They were apologetic and they did say that they were sorry,” he said.
But, Megan Trump is now worried about her son Joshua’s mental health after the meeting with school officials, which didn’t completely stop the bullying, she said.
“He said he hates himself, and he hates his last name, and he feels sad all the time, and he doesn’t want to live feeling like that anymore, and as a parent, that’s scary,” Megan Trump told WPVI.
In addition to the name change in the school’s records, officials at Talley Middle School are working to get Trump — no relation to the president — additional support so he can easily report any future incidents.
Donations help keep websites like MilneNews online and grow. Any donation is appreciated:
Thank you for your support.