Mortellus
Sep 11, 2023
A former TJCA parent reported that her daughter endured persistent bullying involving other students and a teacher, despite repeated complaints to school personnel. According to the parent, administrators eventually recommended removing the child from TJCA because she supposedly did not fit in, raising questions about whether the Academy addressed the reported mistreatment or instead placed responsibility for resolving it on the affected family.
What happened: On September 11, 2023, Alexandria Axel Suttles publicly described her daughter's experiences with bullying at Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy. Her comments appeared during a Facebook discussion about allegations that TJCA had inadequately addressed misconduct involving an elementary student. Suttles stated that her daughter had experienced persistent bullying from members of the school's wrestling team and from a teacher. She reported repeatedly raising complaints with school personnel but receiving little meaningful assistance. According to Suttles, administrators expressed concern and assured her that bullying was not tolerated, yet the problems continued. The most striking allegation concerned the school's proposed solution. Rather than successfully resolving the reported conduct, Suttles said she was advised to withdraw her daughter because the child supposedly did not fit in at the Academy. The account raises questions about how TJCA responded when a parent alleged that the source of a child's mistreatment included both peers and an adult employee.
What was reported:
A parent describes persistent bullying involving students and a teacher
Suttles alleged that her daughter experienced relentless bullying during her enrollment at TJCA.
She specifically identified members of the wrestling team and a teacher as participants in the mistreatment. In a follow-up comment, Suttles identified one of the alleged student aggressors as the child of a coach. The preserved discussion does not establish the identities of the students involved or the specific conduct attributed to each person. Suttles also clarified that she did not believe the coach she was discussing was Coach Cox, who had been mentioned by other participants in the conversation. That clarification matters because the allegation should not be mistakenly attributed to an individual whom the parent expressly indicated she did not believe was involved. The child's identity and the identities of the alleged student aggressors are omitted from this archive entry.
Repeated complaints allegedly produce no lasting change
Suttles reported making several complaints to TJCA personnel. According to her account, school officials responded with expressions of concern and assurances that bullying was not tolerated.
However, she said the situation repeatedly returned to the same pattern. The parent described feeling that her complaints were dismissed rather than meaningfully resolved. This distinction between acknowledging a complaint and addressing the underlying conduct is central to the account. Suttles did not allege that school personnel consistently refused to speak with her.
Instead, she described a process in which staff appeared receptive but failed to produce lasting improvement. Her testimony raises the possibility of an administrative response that acknowledged a family's concerns without effectively protecting the student.
The family is reportedly advised to remove the child
The most consequential allegation concerns the school's reported recommendation that Suttles withdraw her daughter. According to Suttles, she was advised to remove the child because she supposedly did not fit in. That explanation is significant because it shifts the focus from the alleged misconduct of others to the child's suitability for the school environment. In a public charter school, the idea that a student does not fit in raises important questions when it is offered as a response to allegations of bullying. A student who experiences mistreatment may differ from classmates in personality, interests, background, social relationships, or any number of other characteristics. But such differences do not explain away the school's responsibility to respond appropriately to harassment and misconduct. Suttles's account does not identify the administrator who allegedly made the recommendation or preserve the precise wording of the conversation. It does, however, document the parent's understanding that TJCA's proposed resolution was for her daughter to leave. The preserved statement does not expressly confirm whether the family subsequently withdrew the child.
The allegation involving a teacher is especially significant
Bullying between students presents serious challenges for school supervision and discipline.
An allegation that a teacher participated in bullying raises an additional concern. Teachers occupy positions of authority over students and are ordinarily among the adults to whom children and parents are expected to turn when mistreatment occurs. If a student experiences bullying involving both peers and a teacher, the ordinary avenues for reporting and resolving the problem may be compromised. Suttles's account is therefore distinctive among the September 2023 reports. It did not merely allege that administrators failed to stop misconduct by other students.
It alleged that an adult employee participated in the mistreatment and that the school's response was insufficient. The publicly preserved testimony does not provide enough detail to independently evaluate the teacher's conduct, but the allegation itself is important to the history of parental concerns raised about TJCA.
Why the incident matters
The central issue in Suttles's account is not simply that her daughter was bullied. It is the response the parent says she received after repeatedly asking the school for help. Suttles described assurances that bullying would not be tolerated, followed by continued mistreatment and an eventual recommendation that her daughter leave because she did not fit in. That sequence raises a fundamental question about institutional responsibility. When a child is experiencing persistent mistreatment, is the school's responsibility to address the conduct and protect the student—or to recommend that the family find another educational environment? The allegation that TJCA advised withdrawing the affected child, rather than successfully stopping the reported bullying, is the defining feature of this account. It also warrants examination of how the Academy historically handled complaints involving staff members, not merely student disciplinary matters.
Original evidence:
Rutherfordton, Forest City and Spindale, North Carolina Town Talk.pdf, p. 17. September 11, 2023 community discussion containing Alexandria Axel Suttles's firsthand statements about her daughter's alleged bullying, repeated complaints to TJCA personnel, and the recommendation that the child be withdrawn because she did not fit in.
Scott Carpenter, The Daily Courier, September 15, 2023, "Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy accused of not taking allegations seriously enough." Contemporary reporting providing context for the wider community discussion of TJCA's responses to student safety concerns.
Subsequent developments: Suttles's statements were published in September 2023 but concerned incidents that occurred earlier in her daughter's schooling. The account does not establish the specific academic year, identify the administrator who reportedly recommended withdrawal, or confirm the child's subsequent enrollment arrangements. The preserved comments also do not document a formal grievance decision or a school response to the allegations concerning a teacher. The testimony nevertheless raises important historical questions about the Academy's procedures for investigating bullying complaints involving employees and its treatment of families who reported persistent mistreatment. Of particular interest would be contemporaneous correspondence explaining the recommendation to withdraw the child, the handling of repeated complaints, and the steps taken to investigate allegations involving both student and staff conduct. TJCATruth.com welcomes historical anti-bullying policies, grievance procedures, appropriately redacted correspondence, and other materials clarifying how TJCA handled complaints involving student mistreatment and recommendations that affected families leave the Academy.
Report from the community: Alexandria Axel Suttles's September 2023 comments provide the central firsthand account. She described persistent bullying involving members of the wrestling team and a teacher, repeated attempts to obtain assistance, and assurances from school personnel that did not result in lasting improvement. She also reported being advised to withdraw her daughter because the child supposedly did not fit in. Her statements appeared among several other accounts of families who said they had experienced bullying or withdrawn students after dissatisfaction with TJCA's response. Those accounts demonstrate that Suttles was not the only person raising concerns in the discussion, although her particular allegations and experiences are preserved separately here. The historical record would benefit from firsthand testimony from individuals familiar with the complaints, the school's response, or the alleged recommendation that the family withdraw. Individuals with relevant firsthand experiences are encouraged to contact TJCATruth.com. Requests for anonymity will be respected, and identifying information will not be published without the contributor's explicit consent. All submissions will be handled with discretion and confidentiality.