An incident that occurred at Franklin High School on Friday has brought the issue of bullying to the forefront in Williamson County.
Lauren Williams, a 16-year old FHS student with a scalp condition had her wig ripped off by a group of students — whom later posted video of the incident on social media, according to what Myckelle Williams, the girl’s mother, wrote on Facebook.
Myckelle wrote that she needed to take her daughter to the hospital to treat abrasions and whiplash. She also said that similar bullying of her daughter has gone on for over a year, during which the school repeatedly “brushed off” her complaints.
After first declining to comment due to privacy matters, Williamson County Schools and Superintendent Mike Looney tweeted in reference to the incident Monday.
The @wcsFHS administration & the SRO immediately began investigating an incident when it was reported to them Friday. This type of behavior can never be tolerated at school. In addition to school discipline, WCS prosecutes delinquent behavior to the fullest extent of the law.
— WCS (@WCSedu) January 29, 2018
Looney and the district are working with the Williamson Co. Sheriff’s Office and Franklin Police to press charges against the students responsible, reports WSMV.
Since Friday, Myckelle has continued to post on Facebook. Her daughter decided to shave her head to “not let the bullies win.” Her posts have elicited a huge response, with tens of thousands of replies, shares and Likes.
Via Twitter, Looney expressed the idea that the forces of social media can be used for the best, and worst, of causes.
“For those concerned about the incident at FHS late Friday, the administration and law enforcement are on it,” he wrote. “Please remember when you retweet, share, or react to social media posts, you give those in the wrong even more attention.”
Stay tuned as we continue to follow this story and explore WCS bullying policies and statistics.
Your daughter is beautiful inside and out
Franklin high was my high school what saddens me is why other students to stand up for her ! Punishment needs to be addressed!