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Zoey Kushner pushes black jeans through her sewing machine. She’s putting patches on them. One is a ghost riding a motorcycle, and it glows in the dark. Another is from a trip to South Carolina.
One has rainbow-colored letters and the words, “hate has no home here.”
That's why I'm here.
"It means a lot," Kushner said. "Because I know I’m not the only one like me."
The Little Miami High School senior is talking to me from her grandmother’s farm in Harlan Township. She recently spoke at a school board meeting, trying desperately not to cry. She tells me she wanted the adults there to know how students have been impacted by the district's decision to remove a poster from the classroom that referenced trans and pride flags.
“I used to love going to school,” Kushner said. “But it’s not as fun to go to school anymore.”
WATCH: We talk to students about Little Miami controversy
I ask her if she worries about becoming a target.
“I’m fine with being a target if it means other kids my age know they’re safe around me,” Kushner said.
The 18-year-old was one of several students who told officials bullying has gotten worse since the board’s decision in February. One student walked to the podium with a cane and said the decision also impacts people living with disabilities.
“It feels like everyone and everything is against you,” Kushner told me. “And it sucks. And I don’t want any kids to feel that way. Because I felt that way.”
Before their decision, school board members cited a state law requiring parental consent to teach sexual content. One board member said the "hate has no home here" slogan was fine, but the symbols underneath the words were the problem. Symbols that represent the LGBTQ+ community.
The teacher who put the poster up is now suing the district.
District officials declined an interview request for this story, but said in a statement they take bullying seriously.
“The safety, well-being and sense of belonging of every student is a top priority,” a spokesperson said in an email. “We strongly encourage any student who experiences or witnesses bullying or harassment to report it.”
During the first semester this school year, reported bullying incidents went up 41% compared to last year, according to data from the school district. Only one of the 41 reported incidents were validated.
Standing on a deck at the Kushner farm, Ray Fischer tells me he was once pushed into a locker at school.
“I’ve been bullied quite a bit for just being myself,” Fischer said. “I feel like people should be able to walk around freely without having to be afraid of being hurt or discriminated against.”
A freshman at Little Miami, Fischer shows me stickers and posters he made to pass out at school. Stickers with the same flags that were taken down. He says it almost got him suspended.
The two students talk about teachers and Kushner asks if Fischer has to take gym class. Then, Fischer gives Kushner a fist bump and tells her underclassmen look up to her.
“You’re a safe person to me,” he said.
For more information about how to report bullying, click on this link.
