Bullied Long Beach teen: 'School was just hell'

JAKE ALEXANDER, a freshman at Long Beach High School, said he's been harassed at school since moving from Delaware two years ago.

His parents have gone to the school and talked with principals, counselors and deans. "They tell us they investigate every incident that's brought to their attention and if they can't prove it they can't do anything," said Jake's father, Christopher Alexander. His mother Leigh said her son recently developed stress-related cardiac issues.

Honestly, it seemed like when I moved to New York, school was just hell. Kids would do it and do it and get detention. Then their friends would do what the other did. It was almost like a virus getting passed from one friend to the next. They don't care if they get in trouble.

They would come up to me and push me, and throw stuff at me - a coffee cup with a little bit of coffee in it, an agenda book, a test book, dirty rags. I've been smacked in the face with a thrown quarter, paper balls, bottles of water. When they were all leaving the bus, each one of them got something and as they were walking by my chair they were throwing it at me.

[One kid] . . . was suspended for throwing a pen, paper and rubber bands at my head. I've never actually been hit, though they've pushed. If I see somebody about to hit me, I just run away. I've never been in a fight, and I don't want to be.

There have been some kids who are really popular who say stuff to me: "You're a hillbilly," or "You're a fag."

This week in the science classroom, [a boy] . . . was making remarks when I walked in, then the teacher was pulling him outside and then a girl came over and kicked me, and I just left the classroom, I was done . . . the teacher wanted to bring us all out and talk it out and I said it wasn't the first time she's done this - the day before she got kicked out of class for calling me a snitch - and I said I'm not taking this crap and went to the dean's [office].

LONG BEACH SAYS: School officials don't comment on specific cases, but Jake's father said the school has assigned a security guard to shadow Jake at school.