A terrified schoolgirl was pulled out of school after she received SEVEN death threats in ONE day from a gang of girl bullies – because she had ginger hair.
Pretty Nicole Nagington, 12, was so upset she even dyed her hair blonde after being called ”a ginger bitch” by the yobs.
But her new appearance failed to stop the bullies who sent her seven poison pen letters in one day before attacking her in the playground.
One letter, scrawled on school note paper, read: ”You’re still a ginger bitch. All gingers should die.”
Nicole’s distraught parents decided to withdraw her from school fearing for their daughter’s safety.
She has not been to school for six weeks and is still too scared to walk outside her home in Telford, Shrops., alone.
She sobbed: ”I’m really upset. All I wanted was for people to like me.
”I tried really hard and wanted to be friends with everyone. It was horrible. They punched me and pulled my hair. They were saying they were going to get me.
”I was terrified. I was shaking.
”I’m used to being made fun of for having ginger hair because I’ve had it my whole life but this was much, much worse. I thought they’d kill me.”
Dad Ian, 43, was forced to pack in his job as a taxi driver to educate Nicole full-time at home after pulling her out of Phoenix School in Telford in February.
He said: ”The bullying really got worse since January and my daughter was inconsolable.
”I’m not taking her back to that school if it makes her feel like that and I don’t think any other parent would either.
”She ran home screaming with tears pouring down her face after they threatened her. It was just mindless savagery.”
Ian, who has six other children, claims the school refused to take his allegations of bullying seriously.
He said: ”I complained to the school but the headteacher insisted there were no bullying problems.
”I had no choice but to educate her at home for her own safety.”
Nicole started at the secondary school last September but was instantly targeted by a gang of five girls her own age who made fun of her flame-red locks.
Nicole, who also wears a hearing aid, was subjected to a daily torrent of abuse by the bullies who also wrote chilling threats on her Facebook page.
One message warned: ”We’re going to get you,” while another said: ”You ginger bitch.”
Nicole is due to start at a different secondary school in the next few weeks.
Anne Keegan, headteacher of Phoenix School, said: ”Nicole has not been in education now for some weeks and this is the father’s right.
”We have asked Mr Nagington to come in to the school for a meeting with Nicole but he has so far refused.
”We have a lot of procedures in place where we can work with the student and help them feel secure and safe in this school.
”Nicole’s father should bring her back.”
Quote from Deputy Head Phoenix School:
'But the school�s deputy headteacher Anne Keegan today insisted it had no problems with bullying and urged the family to send her back to school'.
Come on, lets be realistic. Every school, in my opinion, has incidents of bullying of varying degrees.
It surprises me that Deputy Head Anne Keegan jumped so quickly with the no problems with bullying at this school.
Not sure if this is the actual quote " The Lady doth protest too much" But am sure people will know what I mean.
Whilst the leadership of the school are burying their heads in the sand regarding bullying, then things will never get better and more youngsters are going to suffer because the bullies know they can get away with it.
Just a final thought. If one of the pupils imtimidated, were verbally and or physically abusive towards a member of staff then it would be dealt with immediately.
Why are the staff more important than the pupils??????
Quote from Deputy Head Phoenix School:
'But the school�s deputy headteacher Anne Keegan today insisted it had no problems with bullying and urged the family to send her back to school'.
Come on, lets be realistic. Every school, in my opinion, has incidents of bullying of varying degrees.
It surprises me that Deputy Head Anne Keegan jumped so quickly with the no problems with bullying at this school.
Not sure if this is the actual quote " The Lady doth protest too much" But am sure people will know what I mean.
Whilst the leadership of the school are burying their heads in the sand regarding bullying, then things will never get better and more youngsters are going to suffer because the bullies know they can get away with it.
Just a final thought. If one of the pupils imtimidated, were verbally and or physically abusive towards a member of staff then it would be dealt with immediately.
Why are the staff more important than the pupils??????
I feel that being discriminated against is just…sad. It’s not even a legit reason, only the color of your hair and they call her a ‘ginger bitch’. I mean, sure, she’s got unique hair, but who are they to pick on her because of that? I mean, it’s not like they want to be called names and discriminated against. I think that the school should have also taken more action or at least investigate these claims, instead of insisting that there was no bullying.