On Friday April 4, 2014 , approximately 30 Bret Harte
students participated in a ‘walkout’ to bring attention to the grievances allegedly
filed against Dalila Hernandez.
According to Senior, Ally (last name withheld), she and her younger
sister Laura had followed school policy three weeks prior to the walk out, but
had not seen any proof the school had addressed the issue. The issue at hand was the active bullying of
Laura.
When the girls went to the office of Ms Hernandez, Hernandez
had purportedly told Ally she did not like her and questioned the validity of their problem
in contrast with the value of her time. The bullying in question came in the
form of classroom bullying and campus bullying, students allegedly telling the
young girl to “drink bleach” and “kill herself.” All areas that Ally felt
should have fallen under Hernandez’s official capacity to deal with.
After the picture of Superintendent Michael Chimente talking
with the crowd of students hit the social media out let, there was a firestorm
of allegations by current and previous Bret Harte students. Many students
support MS Hernandez, yet others were quick to condemn. The accusations ranged
from bullying and demeaning insults, to discrimination and scholarship
tampering.
Bret Harte Superintendent Mike Chimente has not responded to
questions leveled by the Copper Gazette.
