Mom tells Fayette board: Stop students’ anti-Semitic bullying of my son

A parent told Fayette County school board members Thursday her son was the target of anti-Semitic bullying at Lexington’s Beaumont Middle School to the point he was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder this week and has become a homebound student.

Lindsay Parsons, whose family is Jewish, told school board members at a planning meeting that Beaumont school officials said they could do nothing about the ridicule she and her seventh-grade son say he is enduring.

She told the Herald-Leader: “He has been continually bullied about his religion and had anti-Semitic hand signals, as well as comments made to him several times a week. Kids come up to him and do the Nazi salute, and he’s even had kids go as far as to say he should be in a concentration camp. Each time, my son goes to the teacher and or principal and does a tipline report. “

Parsons said her son was then asked by school officials who witnessed the bullying.

“They then call in the student who acted inappropriately, who inevitably denies it, and witnesses also say they didn’t hear anything (because they are friends with the offender ) and nothing happens. This has gotten so bad that Wednesday, my son was diagnosed with general anxiety disorder,” Parsons said.

She said her son on Thursday was enrolled in the district’s homebound program, which means he will study from home.

“I have asked to speak with (Superintendent Demetrus) Liggins, and I have been told that his calendar is too full for the rest of the year,” Parsons told board members.

In response, district spokeswoman Dia Davidson-Smith told the Herald-Leader Friday morning, “FCPS has a longstanding policy against discrimination and bullying of any type. We take the concerns and safety of our students seriously, and when families come to us, we investigate each claim fully and have an internal process to address and make any needed corrections.”

Parsons read from a statement at the Thursday night school board meeting that she attributed to her son.

“I am terrified every day to go to school because of the anti-Semitic comments directed at me,” she quoted her son as saying. “This needs to be fixed now because it is ridiculous that my religion affects my school experience in America where the First Amendment states freedom of religion.”

Parsons added: “He has experienced extreme bullying and antisemitism for the past year-and-a-half at the school. Very little has been done to stop these behaviors. The school follows the philosophy of there must be a witness that is willing to come forward for any action to be taken.”

She said her son is a straight-A student and has just been diagnosed with general anxiety disorder as a result of bullying, “which is now resulting in his having to do homebound school all because Beaumont Middle School staff will not supervise and stop the problems.”

“I plead with you as a school board to investigate this and get to the bottom of it immediately,” Parsons told school board members. ”My son deserves better.”

“I’d like to speak to Dr. Liggins so that the school will take this more seriously as they seem to think kids saying anti-Semitic remarks are just kids joking and playing around,” Parsons told the Herald-Leader.

“As for the school board, I want them to be aware that (administrators) for the district don’t seem to care that this is happening, and I’d like policy made to stop depending on other students to verify what’s been done so actual consequences can occur.”

This story was originally published April 18, 2025 at 2:13 PM.