Students and parents press Goshen board on bullying and mental‑health follow‑up; district outlines supports

Three speakers during public participation told the board their families had been harmed by persistent bullying and asked the district to strengthen mental‑health follow‑up and impartial investigations.

“Troy, I’m sorry.” (opening aside). Twelve‑year‑old Braxton Hayden told the board, “At school, I've been verbally harassed and humiliated by other students. ... When this first started happening, I thought if I just ignored it, it would go away, but it didn't.” He said disciplinary action against him preceded adults learning what he had endured and asked for adults to ask children “are you okay?” before moving to punishment.

Katie Hayden, who spoke as a parent, urged the board to make middle‑school mental health a priority and offered concrete steps: training all staff in de‑escalation and trauma‑informed strategies; providing regular mental‑health check‑ins for students; ensuring that student concerns…