A Bradenton boy said he's been so tormented by bullies at school that he's been afraid to return to school this week after winter break ended.
His grandmother said she has been working to get answers from Manatee County School administrators for months, but has gotten no satisfactory response.
ABC Action News is not revealing his face or name to protect the boy's identity, as he is only ten years old.
This fifth grader says the same group of bullies have taunted him for months. But then, right before Christmas, he said he was surrounded and attacked.
"Six or seven of them got behind me, they all started pushing me and then this one kid flicked me in the back of the head," the fifth-grader from Prine Elementary told ABC Action News.
Then, another student issued the threat that terrified him, he said.
"They said that they were going to get together and then beat me up when I least expected it," he said.
He said he tried to report the incident.
"My friend was trying to help me get away, so we went up to the teacher and told, but he didn't do anything," the boy said.
"It's very hard for me to watch him go through this," said his grandmother and full-time caregiver. "How do you make him go, crying, knowing he's scared?"
She says she's watched him grow more withdrawn due to the threatening nature of the bullying.
"He's had a child this year threaten to run a pencil through his ear into his brain," she said. "He's had one threaten to rip his spine out."
She also said he's been the subject of cruel taunts.
"You're a fat M-F, you're a stupid A-Hole," she said.
She said she has had two meetings with a teacher and administrators regarding the alleged bullying, and has gotten few answers. She also said she sent an email to the district superintendent a few weeks ago, but said she didn't receive a response.
ABC Action News reached out to school district leaders regarding the situation.
“As Superintendent of the School District of Manatee County, I want to emphasize that we take all allegations of bullying and harassment extremely seriously, and we would never ignore or disregard any such allegations," said Dr. Diana Greene in an emailed statement to ABC Action News.
"Since I learned of these allegations yesterday, a plan was put in place for the district’s Safe Schools Student Intervention Specialist to work with the school and family to resolve this issue. In addition, the Deputy Superintendent and Executive Director of Elementary will follow-up for next steps," she said.
For now, the grandmother said she wants school administrators to understand how much the bullying has hurt her grandson, who has now entered therapy and is having recurring nightmares.
"It's affecting their home life," the grandmother said. "It's affecting their self esteem."
This boy has these words for his teachers and his bullies.
"They hurt my feelings and they need to stop," he said.
Despite assurances from the district, the boy's grandmother says she won't return her grandson to Prine Elementary.
If believe your child is being bullied, Manatee County School District leaders ask that you report it.
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