Alleged Bullying Case at Dundalk High 'Thoroughly Investigated'

Dundalk residents have reached out to Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice, a known advocate for anti-bullying efforts, about an alleged case of bullying at Dundalk High School.

"I want to know exactly what is going on at Dundalk High School," Rice wrote this morning on Facebook. "NOT happy about all the messages I am getting from students about a boy being bullied so bad he is attempting to hurt himself repeatedly. NOT happy that many of the messages involve the staff not acting or taking written reports which they are required to do."

Baltimore County Public Schools officials responded to Rice's posts by saying in a statement the school system "thoroughly investigated" the bullying allegation.

"Due to concerns for student privacy, Baltimore County Public Schools cannot discuss this situation in detail," spokeswoman Diana Spencer said in a statement. "However, the school system can confirm that alleged bullying at Dundalk High School was thoroughly investigated and that school system procedures were followed."

Every teacher and administrator at the school has received training in a bullying prevention program called Olweus, and they share a schoolwide bullying prevention lesson each month with all students, according to Spencer.

The mother of the victimized boy said in a phone interview with Dundalk Patch that her son, a special needs student, is hospitalized after threatening suicide in response to multiple incidents of bullying at the school.

Later in the day, Rice updated his status to thank the many posters who pledged to get more active in anti-bullying efforts.

The online conversation picked up steam throughout the day, generating more than 1,000 comments and more than 1,150 shares of Rice's original post.

"I would like to thank the overwhelming number of parents, teachers, and students from DHS who have messaged pledging to not be a bystander to bullying!!" Rice said in the post. "Horrible to wake up to messages about a kid in the hospital over an attempted suicide he says is because of bullying. I am THRILLED with the positive response from teachers and students promising to work together. We CAN make a difference!!! THANK YOU ALL FOR TAKING ACTION!!"