Plano student with special needs bullied by mean texts

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

Glad to see the community rallying around her. I would love to have a few minutes with the kids and their parents who bullied this poor girl. Click on the link and watch the video.I have to admit it made me tear up.

: http://www.myfoxdfw.com/story/23664255/plano-west-hs-teen-bullied-by-harmful-text-messages#ixzz2hvswAI66

LANO, Texas -
A student with special needs at Plano West Senior High School is being tormented by threatening text messages. But that didn't stop her from having blast at homecoming Friday night.

Shea Shawhan, 18, was born with a brain injury that has left her with the mental capacity of an 8-year-old. She can understand the text messages and it's really breaking her mother's heart. The mean and hurtful text messages have sparked a police investigation.

"Why are you still here? Clearly no one wants you. You only have special needs friends and you're ugly and have terrible fashion sense. Honestly your clothes suck," read some of the offensive text messages. "People at West don't want her, that's the reason she has seizures because that's karma," another text to Shea read.

"When they referenced her seizures and said I hope you have a seizure and die, are you kidding me? How could you be so evil and cold," said Keri Riddell, Shea's mother.

She believes a group of teenagers are behind the texts. "She's so sweet and I'm so frustrated I can't find out who it is. I just want to find that parent and say what did you do? Do you know your child is doing this?" said Keri.

The texts are coming from fake numbers generated by web apps which is making it a challenge for Riddell and Plano police to trace the senders.

They've changed Shea's number and blocked many of the fake numbers but messages are still getting through. Sometimes Shea would receive several nasty text messages a day for two weeks.

A Facebook page has been created to support Shea. You can find it here. After her story aired Thursday night, Facebook and Twitter exploded with support. She gained nearly 19,000 followers in 24 hours.

At Friday night's football game at Clark Stadium in Plano, family and friends and some students at both Plano East and Plano West wore "I'm With Shea" t-shirts so she and everyone else knows they support her, not the bullies.

Many students said they had no idea the cyberbullying was happening until the story aired.

Shea said she doesn't let the cruel words hurt her feelings but has a message of her own for the senders, "It's not nice for you to do this to other people." She also sent a text message to her mother Friday morning that read in part, "I won't let anyone tell me what I can and can't do. I will not let people bully me, I am strong. I have a disability but that doesn't mean I'm not smart. I am perfect, I am me and that is awesome."

On Friday, she didn't receive one mean text message. Shea and her mom hope the text torture is over, but still want the senders to be punished.

Riddell and Plano police urge parents to report bullying to the school. "Parents watching what their kids are doing on their cell phones and online are more important now than before," said Officer David Tilley with Plano Police Department.

Read more: http://www.myfoxdfw.com/story/23664255/plano-west-hs-teen-bullied-by-harmful-text-messages#ixzz2hvtH9QOD

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

Kids nowadays have no fear or respect for anyone. My parents would have killed me if I did that to anyone.

[Janelle2002 3,865]

Texas

[Rich and Wen 101]

Maybe if she'd had a gun....

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

Kids nowadays have no fear or respect for anyone. My parents would have killed me if I did that to anyone.

It went on back in our day on the school yard. People just were not as aware because we did not have text, cell phones, Face book etc.

[Karee 4,190]

That girl has been on the news alot here lately. Everyone has the "I'm with Shea" T shirts etc.

[Novembro 1,763]

Kids these days often disgust me. I can't tell you how often I'm out with clients and people stop to stare, point their fingers or laugh. I get it when it's young children who might not have been exposed to the special needs community, but if you're older than 10, you should have had some empathy instilled in you. Parents of these sort of children need to be seriously scrutinized. Children aren't born with hate; it's taught.

[Karee 4,190]

It went on back in our day on the school yard. People just were not as aware because we did not have text, cell phones, Face book etc.

Yeah I couldn't imagine that. All the dumb $hit I did broadcast all over the internet.

Now I can sit back and b!tch about "kids today"

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

Yeah I couldn't imagine that. All the dumb $hit I did broadcast all over the internet.

Now I can sit back and b!tch about "kids today"

Exactly Our dumb shat did not have the poteial to go viral

[Karee 4,190]

I'm lucky enough (sarcasm) to spend the next month of my life here in sunny central Florida (Orlando). I went to get some Chilli at Wendy's tonight. I thought the teenage kid behind the counter was going to have a brain aneurysm when I asked for onions. Did not compute with him for some reason.

[Novembro 1,763]

I'm lucky enough (sarcasm) to spend the next month of my life here in sunny central Florida (Orlando). I went to get some Chilli at Wendy's tonight. I thought the teenage kid behind the counter was going to have a brain aneurysm when I asked for onions. Did not compute with him for some reason.

You should instagram, tweet and fb about it.

[Karee 4,190]

You should instagram, tweet and fb about it.

I don't have instagram or twitter. I'm still trying to find the value in Facebook. The only thing I get out of Facebook is seeing how fat all my ex-girlfriends have become. Not that I should talk I suppose. They probably say the same thing about me.

[Novembro 1,763]

I recently started up an instagram, mostly for my dog. He's a cute pieceofshit.

Thread-related, social media is the devil when kids like this are concerned. I don't understand how anyone could make fun of and humiliate anyone with special needs, but it seems like social media gives them an amazing platform to do so. It's disheartening.

[Karee 4,190]

I recently started up an instagram, mostly for my dog. He's a cute pieceofshit.

Thread-related, social media is the devil when kids like this are concerned. I don't understand how anyone could make fun of and humiliate anyone with special needs, but it seems like social media gives them an amazing platform to do so. It's disheartening.

They interviewed the girl on TV. She seemed pretty normal to me. She's gonna be a hottie when she gets a little older. I suspect that jealousy probably has more to do with it than anything.

[Novembro 1,763]

And sure, I get that (if that is the case). However, this is all part of a bigger issue that I think should be addressed instead of swept under the rug as so many people are willing to do.