Two Elementary Children Become Victims Of Bullying Over Ebola Fears
BALDWIN: Two brothers, elementary school students, became the victims of bullying because of the fear over Ebola. The boys' father tells our New York affiliate News 12 and his two sons here, who are U.S. citizens, were beaten by nearly a dozen students at their school in the Bronx and the word Ebola was shouted at them. The case is under investigation by the New York City schools and the department of education which confirmed the incident. The city's school chancellor released this statement. Let me read that for you. We will not tolerate intimidation or bullying of our students especially in this moment when New Yorkers need to come together. We are investigating this incident and take this very, very seriously. So joining me are these two boys, Amadu and Pape. And they speak French. And forgive me because I do not. So we won't be able to communicate with them but they are good enough to sit here and hang with me. Charles Cooper with the African advisory council who will speak on their behalves and also dad here, Ousmane Drame. So thank you for taking the time. I really, really appreciate it. And Mr. Drame, if we can just begin with they've only been over here a couple weeks?</s>OUSMANE DRAME, FATHER OF TWO BOYS BEATEN: Yes. Three weeks.</s>BALDWIN: From Senegal?</s>DRAME: FROM Senegal, yes.</s>BALDWIN: And went to school.</s>DRAME: Yes.</s>BALDWIN: What happened?</s>DRAME: Yes, what happened is as soon as I take them to school in the first three days, they were made fun of by the children and started yelling Ebola, Ebola, Ebola. These students got to them.</s>BALDWIN: They're not calling them by their names. They calling them Africa or Ebola.</s>DRAME: Yes. None of these classmates can pronounce their names. It's easier to say Ebola. Ebola is not the name of my children.</s>BALDWIN: You have to be kidding me.</s>DRAME: Yes.</s>BALDWIN: It's infuriating.</s>CHARLES COOPER, AFRICAN ADVISORY COUNCIL: Yes, of course. And, you know, and it ensued and, you know, it went from name calling to, you know, full-fledged assault on these two kids.</s>BALDWIN: What exactly -- so big brother here, Pape, heard about was it his little brother who initially was being called names?</s>COOPER: Yes.</s>DRAME: He said papa, someone is crazy. He went to the gym to play. They said, you don't have -- we will not play with you. You have Ebola. You sit down. You just sit down and they play and go to class. But they don't want to play with them. They go to school, 11:0.00. Nobody is close to them. What I don't like is beating.</s>BALDWIN: The beating.</s>DRAME: That's what I don't like. You don't have to beat anyone.</s>BALDWIN: No, of course not. Of course not.</s>DRAME: It's universal law. Beating someone is something else.</s>COOPER: And incident happened during lunch in which they just playing around. Suddenly, you know, he was jumped by several kids that called him Ebola. He screamed. His brother, his big brother, came to his rescue, and was jumped on also and the father came to pick them up that day. It's unfortunate this day in age that it's happening. But I was telling the father that, you know, I'm very proud of him that he brought this to the media attention and came to the African advisory council to alert us. And what we're seeing is that because of them, more and more folks are coming out and saying this is happening to my kids.</s>BALDWIN: I read about the story this morning. I said to my producer, send me to Staten Island tomorrow night. I want to brief right with a lot of people in the Liberian community to try to say, hey, you know, let's talk about the stigma and what we -- how I can help and how other members of the media can help to stigmatize this. If I can just in my final remaining moments, could you ask your boys in French, do they want to keep going back to school? Because I had read this morning they said to you, dad, I want to go back to Africa.</s>DRAME: Yes, they want to go. I talked to them.</s>BALDWIN: They want to keep going to school?</s>DRAME: They want to go school. I talked to</s>BALDWIN: How are they doing?</s>DRAME: They are OK. You see we are Senegalese, you know. We, the long time, it is calling us is just we know the French. We know the Europeans. Senegal, you notice, it's a big nation, I tell you. We have an organization here in New York</s>BALDWIN: Final thought.</s>COOPER: And at the end of the day, listen, no matter whether you're black, brown, yellow or green, we all want our kids to be safe. We all want our kids to go to school and learn and not feel threatened or bullied. This is what it's about. So we are full-fledged outreach to the community. We're trying to educate folks on Ebola and bullying.</s>BALDWIN: It's all about educating. I wish I could communicate to them and let them know how awesome I think they are.</s>COOPER: I think they know it.</s>DRAME: I'm telling you, there is a solution.</s>BALDWIN: It's ignorance, bottom line. Thank you so much. Thank you. I really appreciate it. We have to take a quick break. We'll be right back.