FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (WUSA) -- A young Fairfax County man is speaking publicly for the first time about his years of torment inside the Fairfax County public school system.
Dan Webb says he's sharing his painful story to help spread awareness of bullying, including harassment based on sexual preference.
Asked if he felt safe attending West Springfield High school, where he graduated in 2009, Webb replied, "No. Not once. I felt terrified for my life."
In fact, he says all of his middle and high school years in Fairfax County were destroyed by bullies.
"It hurt me so bad emotionally. I'd come home crying. I'd get home off the school bus and just start bawling my eyes out when I got to the front door," he said.
At West Springfield High School, Dan says his tormentors slapped and groped him in the locker rooms, and even shoved him to the ground. But most of the daily pain they inflicted didn't leave bruises.
He said, "They would yell 'faggot,' 'you're gay,' 'why are you so gay,' 'why do you like men?'"
Perhaps most devastating of all: no one in the school system would help him. His mother says she met with administrators, counselors and teachers at least 20 times, but the harassment continued.
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22 comments:
so? live right and youll have no regrets.
Poor baby. That was high school is all about. Your peers learn what it takes to get under your skin and then tease you until you show it no longer bothers you. Then they move onto someone else. We are raising a bunch of cry babies today where you shouldn't say anything that might offend anyone . We are becoming such a wimp nation.
so how many millions will it take to soothe the pain? I remember through hyponotism I was bullied too for just being a normal guy, what line do I get in to get my millions?
The above 2 comments (12:49 and 12:51) are so ignorant. Niceness does not equate to wimpness. You make me sick to my stomach!
Everybody gets bullied it's how you cope with it.
I think everyone has to deal with bullying whether they are gay, straight, fat, skinny, nerdy, athletic, or WHATEVER. The fact is some just deal with it better than others and also there is different types of bulling for different things. I think the mother should have done more for the boy. I know the article says she met with people but I guarantee you that if my child were treated that badly I would have SOMEONE'S ass whether it was the principal's or the superintendent's. But as far as this kid being compensated for his bullying? No. I was bullied too. Where is my money? I also am starting to agree with the fact that we are becoming a wimp nation full of disrespectful verbal punks who talk the talk but can't walk the walk.
@the anonymous, ignorant, coward idiot who made the first comment...
Are YOU living right? I highly doubt it you uneducated, hillbilly hypocrite!
There is nothing like the open-minded, Christ-like approach of the redneck Delmarvans.
Nothing. At. All.
Christina Got something against hillbillies? You're a hillbillyphobe hypocrite!
Yes, actually I do have something against Eastern Shore Hillbilly idiots! They happen to be the worst rolemodels on earth, which is why I try to keep my children as far away from them as possible. And actually, I'm a idiotphobe.
"Christ-like approach"! HAHAHA
Bible thumping Delmarva is a sad, sad place!!
Christina if you hate the type of people that live here then why do you subject yourself to the Eastern Shore? Maybe you should move to the city when everyone is smart and a great role model and doesn't believe in God. :)
how in the heck can someone on the eastern shore be a hillbilly?? NEWS FLASH its flat around here.
Dan and Christine if you don't like it here..... MOVE. Oh and Dan before you start because this was posted Anon.. your name is also anon. I could use the name Elmer fudd and it still doesn't identify who you are. MAN up or shut up.
Christina there are no hills on the shore except for the dump which is where you must be living.I think we uncovered your frustration as you are an idiot and an idiotphobe see you hate yourself. Go back to the city, CITY TRASH !
If you of you morons really believed in God and tried to live in a truly Christian way then Cristina would not be left with the false impression that all Shore natives are as stupid and pathetic as you guys.
The first two comments, as several have pointed out, are beyond the pale. They display the ignorance of uneducated fools, of whom so many seem to abound on this site. However, they are protected by America's freedom of speech. No one should have to endure bullying, and no, that's not what school should be about. If the school this young man attended and the school systsem did not address the bullying, they should be sued because they have breached their duty of protecting all who seek an education. They need to be made an example of. (And, no, I'm not a liberal, crybaby Democrat as I'm sure some are thinking!)
8:39 PM
That pretty much sums it up. Everybody knows you're gonna get some stupid comments like the first two and some others. Dan never fails to deliver either.
I won't feed in to your pathetic attempts to put people down after this comment.....
I was born and raised on the Eastern Shore and am proud to say that I turned out educated, open minded and comfortable with who I am. "Go back to the city"????? I've never lived in a city in my life. And I have removed myself from the shore because it's not a good environment for my children. I made it out without being a Bible thumping idiot, but I couldn't take a chance on my children being stuck there and subjected to idiotic ways of thinking. I get so sad when I read some of the hate that is still so present there. I keep coming back as a remider that I did the right thing and that when my kids are successful good minded adults, I will be proud for taking them away from ignorance!
People from small communities tend to be smarter then their city dwelling counter parts according to test scores. I have to laugh at people painting the Eastern shore as bible thumping like if true would be a bad thing. More hate speech from a few misfits who don't fit in with regular folks move San Francisco.
The statement:
"People from small communities tend to be smarter then their city dwelling counter parts according to test scores"
Is then follwed by this:
"More hate speech from a few misfits who don't fit in with regular folks move San Francisco."
Wanna diagram that for us, big daddy?
No doubt you need a picture Dan your a product of low class upbringing.
I don't think coming out of the closet in middle or high school was probably the right move due to the age and attitudes of kids that age. But have you ever considered what Christian students go through dealing with institutionalized bigotry? I mean where do they turn?
Yeah. Being a white christian in this country is waaaaaaaay worse than being gay.
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