Levi Null, an autistic teenager in Iowa who also was diagnosed with ADHD, has been the target of bullying, but his parents have said that he is largely to blame for it.
“I would say three-fourths of this stuff he brings on himself and probably a fourth of it is bullying that shouldn’t be going on,” parent Levi Weatherly told WHO-TV.
WHO-TV said it received more than 100 e-mails from other students’ parents who said the other students are in the right, not the boy.
Parents said that Null’s involuntary movements caused by his Asperger syndrome, which is considered a form of autism, have caused disruptions among other students.
“He called my nephew a nasty name and my nephew Cole cocked (sic) him in the mouth. I’m proud of my nephew for doing that,” said Jamie Harrison in a comment. “You gotta stand up for yourself. A week or so before that, Levi hit my nephew and his friend on the bus. He’s a little bully too.”
Null’s mother told WHO-TV that other students recorded themselves hitting the boy before putting it online. Principal Josh Ehn said it’s students’ responsibility to handle cases of bullying.
“We try our best to educate our staff, to educate our students to react to the cases, to investigate the cases we have,” Ehn told WHO. “But ultimately, it’s got to come down to the kids to take ownership for this and to stand up for the kids who can’t stand up for themselves.”
Null’s mother, Dawn Simmons, has said that two of the students have apologized.
