His parents said Asher Brown had been called names and endured harassment from other students since he joined Cy-Fair ISD two years ago. As a result, he stuck with a small group of friends who suffered similar harassment from other students, his parents said. His most recent humiliation occurred... when another student tripped Brown as he walked down a flight of stairs at the school, his parents said. When Brown hit the stairway landing and went to retrieve his book bag, the other student kicked his books everywhere and kicked Brown down the remaining flight of stairs, the Truongs said.
The day Asher Brown killed himself:
David Truong says he arrived home finding his stepson shot to death. "I thought he was laying there reading a book or something. My son put a gun to his head because he couldn't take what he was hearing and the constant teasing," says David Truong. Brown's mother arrived home from work finding her home in chaos. "I saw yellow tape and police cars in front of my house," says Amy Truong while choking back tears of mourning.Brown was in eighth grade at Hamilton Middle School. A "No Bullying School Zone" sign is clearly posted out front; a sign the Truongs say their son's tormentors ignored for two years.
Asher's parents want justice:
The 13-year-old's parents said they had complained about the bullying to Hamilton Middle School officials during the past 18 months, but claimed their concerns fell on deaf ears. David and Amy Truong said they made several visits to the school to complain about the harassment, and Amy Truong said she made numerous phone calls to the school that were never returned.Cy Fair ISD officials said Monday that they never received any complaints from Brown's parents before the suicide about the way the boy was being treated at school. School district spokeswoman Kelli Durham said no students, school employees or the boy's parents ever reported that he was being bullied.
That statement infuriated the Truongs, who accused the school district of protecting the bullies and their parents. "That's absolutely inaccurate—it's completely false," Amy Truong said. "I did not hallucinate phone calls to counselors and assistant principals. We have no reason to make this up... It's like they're calling us liars." David Truong said, "We want justice. The people here need to be held responsible and to be stopped. It did happen. There are witnesses everywhere."
So who can be held responsible? According to the report in the Chronicle, Asher was bullied by four other students. Hamilton Middle School administrators know who bullied Asher Brown to death. Asher Brown's parents most likely know the names of the students who bullied their son to death. The four students who bullied 13-year-old Asher Brown to death should be indicted just like the six bullies who bullied 15-year-old Phoebe Prince to death. And if it can be proven that school administrators did nothing to protect Asher Brown after his parents called and begged them to protect their son—and then lied to the media about it—they should all be fired.
Here's what you can do:
Ify Ogwumike is the principal of Hamilton Middle School. Her email address is ify.ogwumike@cfisd.net. You can also reach Principal Ogwumike at 281-320-7000. The school's website is here. Hamilton Middle School has Facebook page. It's here. Hamilton Middle School currently gets a four-star average at this independent school rating website. Go and vote 'em down.
You can email the Cy-Fair Independent School District Board of Trustees at board@cfisd.net. You can call them at (281) 897-4000. The Cy-Fair ISD's website is here.
Hamilton Middle School is located in Harris County, Texas. The non-emergency phone number for the Harris Country Sheriff's Office is 713-221-6000. Ask the Sheriff's Office to bring charges against the bullies who murdered Asher Brown.
Make a donation to The Trevor Project. You can make a donation here. Or you can make a $5 donation right now by texting TREVOR to 85944. And, finally, please consider making a video for the It Gets Better Project.
