Highland Spring High school administration assured the Martins the school had active and effective zero tolerance bullying prevention policies, and not to worry about their son’s safety.ĭescribed by his family as a “soft-spoken, creative ‘still waters run deep’ personality,” his transition into high school was not safe and made difficult when he became a target for bullying and harassment from fellow students. Before the school year had begun, Eric’s parents visited with school staff to discuss concerns over years of documented bullying Eric had endured since first grade. Please join me in taking a stand against bullying everywhere, and call for the assault charges against Eric to be dropped.Įarly this fall, Eric Martin was a ninth grader about to begin the next chapter in his life, high school. By signing my petition, you’ll help send a clear message to the administration that punishing Eric for standing up for himself isn’t right. What happened to Eric is horrible, and he deserves justice.Įric is a kind, soft-spoken boy who has endured more than any 14 year old should, and now his life is on hold because of bad decisions made not just by school bullies, but by the administration of Highland Spring High School as well. Will you join me by signing my petition?Īs a person who endured a lifetime of bullying by a family member myself, I knew that I had to take a stand. I reached out to Eric’s family after hearing his story, and started a petition asking Highland Spring High School and Henrico County to drop the charges against Eric. What happened next was shocking: while still recovering from his injuries, Highland Spring brought charges against Eric for the assault.Įric admits to lunging at the bullies as they threatened and yelled anti-gay slurs at him, but even though the other boys did not suffer any major injuries and Eric was viciously beaten into unconsciousness, he is the one being punished. Instead, Eric was not just bullied but brutally beaten by a group of students at school while other classmates watched, leaving him with a broken wrist, a 9-day hospital stay, and a traumatic brain injury which will affect him for the rest of his life. The Sheriff's Office said Friday it has interviewed a witness who was in the home during the disturbance, as well as several of O'Block's employees.įleming was a 2009 graduate of Logan-Rogersville High School, according to News-Leader archives.įleming's immediate family members have not talked to the media since her death.When 14 year-old Eric Martin started high school this fall, his parents were assured that the zero-tolerance anti-bullying policy in place at Highland Spring High School would spare Eric from the relentless bullying he had faced since first grade. O'Block and Fleming were found dead at O'Block's home in the 3600 block of East Kingswood Drive in the Highland Springs gated subdivision around 10 p.m. The burglary took place sometime after 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, an officer took a report of a commercial burglary at CNTA. Springfield police spokeswoman Lisa Cox said that, at 8:58 a.m. CNTA is the parent company of American College of Forensic Examiners International and other entities that certify individuals in fields such as homeland security, forensics, psychotherapy and integrative medicine. O'Block was the CEO of the Center for National Threat Assessment, an organization operating at 2750 E. The Sheriff's Office said that while it is the primary agency investigating the deaths of O'Block and Fleming, the Springfield Police Department "is conducting a separate investigation of events occurring at Mr. A spokeswoman for the Sheriff's Office said no illicit substances were found in the home.
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