An Open Letter To Judge Watson

Honorable Justice:

Thank you for extending the orders of protection on behalf of my daughter for a full year.

How naive of me to think that I would get the opportunity to provide you with the reason the girls were in your courtroom in the first place. To have you watch the savage behavior and vicious attack on my daughter in full view of the two top security officials in the school. To show you the slanderous, hateful, disgusting things these girls posted about her on their Facebook pages, not to mention their flippant attitude about being suspended and having to appear in court. To have you speak with Hannah and hear from her how school is nothing more than a living hell for her and the countless times she went to the school administration and told them what was happening and they did nothing.

Why did I ever think this would be the start of a new attitude toward bullying? That the District Attorney would actually give me the time to explain the harrassment that led up to the attack and would have the heart to make the effort to persuade the court to treat this as more than, as he told me "than a traffic violation" which is basically how the court sees this type of charge? Have you any idea what that felt like to be told that the emotional hell our family has been put through at the hands of these punks is viewed in the same light as that as say, someone speeding? But his hands are tied, so he tells me. Extended orders of protection are the best I can hope for.

So the court's message to these defendants: "stay away from Hannah" Plain and simple. No 'punishment', no court mandated counseling, or community service. Nothing. So what is the lesson they have learned here? That they can continue in their bullying and harrassment of someone else, anyone - as long as it's not Hannah. I only hope the next victim, and I am sure there will be one, is as strong as Hannah. The cycle will continue, of that I am certain.

Sincerely,
Lynn Batt