Hamilton County school resource officer Lt. Sean Shepherd, left, speaks with a panel during a discussion at Ooltewah United Methodist Church in the wake of the sexual assault of an Ooltewah High School freshman during an overnight basketball trip to Gatlinburg, Tenn. The meeting was held for parents to hear from experts about signs of and solutions to bullying and abuse. Silverdale Baptist Academy is preparing to host a free, four-day conference to focus on bullying, hazing and the community culture surrounding it.In the wake of the ongoing Ooltewah High School basketball rape case, Silverdale Baptist Academy officials are advocating for changes in the conversation about bullying and the culture that surrounds it.
“When situations like this arise, every school needs to look at their policies and procedures,” Silverdale Director of Development Christie Johnson said, referencing the charges against several Ooltewah basketball players and officials. “We have several in place to deal with bullying and hazing and like every other school we are open to more training and more knowledge. Knowledge is power.”
Although the reported rape of a freshman player with a pool cue goes beyond bullying, Silverdale Director of Communication Daniel Ashworth said the important takeaway – not only for administrators, but parents and students also – is to examine the community culture and how to empower bystanders to step in and make a difference in any negative situation, no matter the severity.
“It’s all about training and healing,” Ashworth said. “Right now everybody is pointing a finger and we want to focus on the solution. The main takeaway is that this is a cultural problem, not just a school problem. Let’s get trained and equip ourselves so we can make a difference in the lives of all of the students.”
To address the issue of bullying and hazing in schools, Silverdale is hosting national speaker and bullying expert Paul Coughlin, a Fox News analyst and contributor who has been published in the New York Times and Newsweek and has appeared on “Good Morning America,” “Nightline,” C-Span and more.