'I'm going to be the voice': Transcona teen stands up against bullies at Day of Pink rally

Jordan Podolsky says his school division has never properly dealt with the boys who bully him, so he's speaking up for himself.

"They're not doing their job," Podolsky, 18, said at an anti-bullying rally to support him on Wednesday morning in Winnipeg.

"They're going to have to start supporting their students in ways that are meaningful and ways that actually allow students to feel safe at school."

A group of 35 to 40 adults and teens gathered across the street from Collège Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau in Transcona at 9 a.m. for the rally in support of Podolsky, who is a Grade 12 student at the Transcona school.

The rally coincided with the International Day of Pink, when people wear pink to show their support for those who are bullied.

The event was sparked by a post Podolsky made on Facebook Saturday, asking whether others had dealt with bullying at the school.

It struck a chord, with angry back-and-forth posts going up on the Transcona community page where Podolsky posted. A group of young people organized the Wednesday rally.

"We support Jordan!" the group chanted, holding signs and cheering when honking vehicles drove past.

Podolsky said he's been badly bullied since Grade 4.

He's had teeth knocked out and suffered concussions, he and his father both said. The situation improved for a little while in middle school, but it's gotten worse again in high school.

"I've been keeping my mouth shut. I've been quiet about it," Podolsky said.

"I've been reporting my stuff to the administration when it needs to be, but there's been very little action, a lot of inaction, on the division's part and on the school level as well."

Staff met with family, division says

A River East Transcona School Division spokesperson said in an email that divisional and school staff have met with the Podolsky family several times, but they can't comment on those discussions for privacy reasons.

"We are and do take any allegations of alleged bullying very seriously and, as per our concern protocol, follow up as appropriate with those directly involved," said the emailed statement.

Policies, practices and procedures include schoolwide positive behaviour interventions and supports, a code of conduct and a "concern protocol that focuses on open communication between home and school as the first and most important step."

Jason Podolsky, Jordan's father, said they've tried to keep the lines of communication open, "but it's never really gotten us anywhere."

He said he met with school officials on Tuesday and suggested the boys responsible for the bullying have privileges taken away, such as the right to play sports or participate in an awards ceremony.

"The response I got was, 'You realize these are children, right?' Well, I don't know," Jason Podolsky said.

"They're beating people up, you know. Are they really children at that point, or do they really need some discipline?"

Podolsky drove his son to and from school for more than two years because Jordan was afraid to take the school bus, he said. At one point, he'd wait outside the school and watch until the kids went in, out of concern for his son.

Some people have said his son brings it on himself and there's even a video of him pushing other boys, Podolsky said. Jordan has been suspended from school for fighting.

Jordan is not perfect, but he is not the instigator, his dad said.

"How many times can someone hit you, knock your teeth out, give you a bleeding nose, a black eye, before you say, 'Well, I'm not going to take it anymore.'"

'Why do they win?'

But the rally was not about Jordan, who will graduate this spring, his father said.

"He wants this to be about everybody, because the bullies are two per cent, so why do they win?" Jason Podolsky said.

"I think it's time that something changes. We have to push back."

That's what Jordan said as he thanked the people rallying with him Wednesday.

"I'm going to be the voice for all of you guys. I can't stand for this anymore," he said. "It's disrespectful to not listen to us."

It felt great to have people showing support for him, he said, but he was still concerned about his safety when he went back into the school.

"I think there's going to be a lot of people that are very angry about what I've done," he said.

"Quite honestly, I have stirred the pot, but it needed to be done."

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