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Parent tells SHARYLAND ISD board her special-needs son suffered years of bullying, cites federal and state protections
Summary
At a public-comment hearing the parent of a student in the district's special education program urged the board to improve bullying investigations, training and supports after she said school staff failed to act for years. She cited Section 504, IDEA and Texas law (David's Law).
A mother told the SHARYLAND ISD Board of Trustees that her son, a student in the district's special education program, has experienced years of bullying that school staff failed to address, prompting a plea for clearer investigations, better training and more mental-health supports.
Monica Joanne Flores, introducing herself as the child’s mother, said the student has been diagnosed with depression, anxiety and social withdrawal and that the bullying “has taken place within the school environment.” Flores said she reported the incidents to school administrators starting about three years ago but received no follow-up calls, emails or meetings explaining what the district had done.
Flores framed her concerns as legal as well as personal. “When a student with a disability is bullied and the school fails to act promptly and effectively, that student's right to a free and appropriate public education known as FAPE is being denied,” she said, citing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). She also referenced Texas’s anti‑bullying statute (Texas Education Code 37.0832, commonly called David's Law) and guidance from the U.S. Department of Education and the Office for Civil Rights, and urged the district to follow those requirements to investigate, stop the bullying, prevent a recurrence and address effects on the student.
Flores asked the board to adopt several concrete steps: require prompt, transparent investigation and documentation of bullying reports; notify and involve parents; provide training for staff specifically on identifying and responding to bullying of students with disabilities; and provide meaningful, ongoing mental‑health services for victims, including counseling and follow‑up.
She asked the board to hold the district accountable and to ensure “that when we say SHARYLAND STRONG, it truly means strong for every child, including those who need us the most,” closing by asking for action rather than assurances.
The board did not take formal action on Flores’s request during the public comment period. Board members acknowledged her statements and accepted written materials she left for distribution to trustees and administrators. No district response or timeline for follow-up was recorded on the public record during the meeting.
