Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
He’s been subjected to physical and verbal abuse as well as racial prejudice but Steve Kemlo won’t be deterred... I’LL KEEP ON RISING ABOVE THE BULLYING
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three years at St Andrew’s High Steve has been bullied throughout his
A brave Coatbridge schoolboy has vowed to beat the bullies who have made his life hell over the past three years.
During his difficult time as a pupil at St Andrew’s High, Steve Kemlo has been subjected to relentless “verbal and physical abuse, racial prejudice and general isolation from his peers” – and was even knocked unconscious during one shocking attack.
The most recent troubling incident saw the 15-year-old break down in tears in class before being driven home by a teacher after he was “punched in the face” by a boy just before the recent October holiday.
Despite the ongoing bullying – which Steve says has “escalated” since the start of his time in fourth year in August – the talented student is thriving with his class work and captained the school’s badminton team to the top prize at the North Lanarkshire schools’ badminton league competition back in May.
But Steve – who hasn’t missed a day at school in two years – and his family are concerned about the impact the added stress he is being put under could have on his studies during this important school year.
Steve told the Advertiser: “It has been a very up and down time for me.
“Sometimes the kids at school trick me into thinking they are being kind and then hit me or say something bad.
“Just before the October holiday, we were playing dodgeball and someone on the opposing team came over and said ‘well done’, but when I went for a high-five he punched me on the face.
“There have been times when the bullies have asked me for money and spat on me.
“The bullying is always on my mind and though I just get on with my work, it doesn’t make it easy for me to concentrate.”
Steve’s stepfather John, 38, revealed the bullying “started off small” but escalated into physical abuse.
He said: “Over the past three years, Steve has suffered petty theft, verbal and physical abuse, racial prejudice and general isolation from his peers.
“He was once punched unconscious walking home from school and, towards the end of Steve’s time in third year, I received a prank call during a school day while I was at work from a fellow pupil trying to impersonate someone from the school office, falsely claiming Steve had been involved in a fight.
“Despite continual improvement across the board in all of his chosen school subjects a n d receiving nothing but praise from his teachers, it has been a tough start to fourth year for Steve. “Following the incident before the October holiday, he had to be driven home in a teacher’s car because he didn’t feel safe. “That was the second serious incident of bullying since August; the first involved his uniform and shoes being soaked in water and binned, and he later had to walk home wearing them.” John added: “I had a heartt o - h e a r t wi t h the deputy head teacher earlier this year following a social media incident and said that if this