Bullied Teens At John Dewey Denied Transfers

Two students at John Dewy High School who have had enough with being harassed and bullied by classmates say they requested transfers to another school – a move that was denied by a Department of Education official.

The two teenagers, Nicolle Druzhenko, 15, and Viktoria Gvozdik, 14, say that while they begged school officials to be sent to a different high school, a higher up at the DOE replied that without evidence of physical bullying rather than cyber-bullying, the transfer could not be issued.

And while school administrators assured the girls the problem – which includes shoving and spitting – would be addressed, the two say that little has been done so far, reports the Daily News.

From the News:

“I’m scared. No one is helping us,” said Druzhenko. “We tried to change schools and they just put us down.”

Gvozdik added she doesn’t “feel comfortable going [to school]. I don’t think they are taking care of it at all.”

Druzhenko and Gvozdik started getting tormented by at least three other students who have shoved them in the hallways and stairs; and spit on and cursed at them.

The bullies have also waited for both girls after school to chase them home.

They’ve also posted nasty messages on Druzhenko and Gvozdik’s Facebook pages including passages such as, “It’s f*cking termination on sight for you p*ta. It’s over for you and that’s not a threat it’s a promise.”

The tormenters were suspended for a week in January. But the behavior started again when they returned to school.

Relatives of the students said they’ve seen the bullies in action.

“I went to pick them up and they were waiting by the train station – four of them,” said Gvozdik older brother, Ruslan, 21. “My sister was screaming and crying and they were yelling at her. I don’t want this to happen to her.”

While the teens tormenting the two girls were suspended in January, the harassment began all over again when they returned to school.

When Druzhenko’s older sister Anna went to school to speak with administrators, she was shocked to see the bullies curse out Nicolle right in front of her.

“These are serious confrontations,” she said. “They’re afraid to go to that school.”