GRESHAM, Ore. — At the June 4 Gresham‑Barlow School District board meeting, a parent told the board her second grader at East Gresham Elementary has been repeatedly bullied and that school responses have not halted the harassment.

Jamie Justice, identified herself as the parent of a second grader at East Gresham Elementary, told the board she has reported six incidents in about a month and that the school’s current responses — including assigning an adult to accompany her child outside class — have not stopped the behavior and may stigmatize the victim. “When these attacks are reported and continue, that teaches the bully that they can hurt whoever they like and the victim to not expect better for themselves,” Justice said.

Justice read passages from the district’s Safety and Discipline Handbook and said the handbook’s stated rights and responsibilities — including that families “can expect to have their voice acknowledged” and that staff should “respond to student and family guardian reports of bias incidents and serious threats to school safety” — have not been met in her case. She said school records provided to her did not show her child’s name and that she was told incident records “belong to the bullies,” which she said limits accountability and fails to reflect the harm to the victim’s mental and physical health.

Justice asked the board to change policies so that the “history and show accountability for how bullying and bias and harassment affects these children” is reflected in records and district responses. “Our children are our future and deserve safety and respect while entrusted in the school's care,” she said. “With a zero tolerance policy on bullying, it should stop after reported.”

Board Chair Chris Howlett acknowledged the comment and asked Interim Superintendent John Cook to continue following up with the parent; Cook told the board he has been and will continue working with Jamie Justice. Staff offered to take the parent’s additional notes for the record.

Why it matters: The remarks raise concerns about how the district documents incidents, communicates with families and applies discipline and bias‑incident protocols. The parent requested policy or practice changes to create clearer accountability and better communication with families.

Next steps: Superintendent Cook said he would meet with the parent and provide follow‑up. The parent asked the board for policy changes to better document and communicate the effects of bullying and bias incidents on victims.