A suburban St. Louis mother is horrified by her daughter's school district's suggestion the 13-year-old get breast reduction surgery to solve the problem of bullies at school. Tammie Jackson, concerned about her daughter Gabrielle's well-being, called Central Middle School in Moline Acres, Mo. What followed left Jackson floored, according to the Huffington Post .
* Jackson told KTVI , "The lady on the phone said they could transfer my daughter and said her boobs were so large she will always get teased. And the only suggestion she had for me is to have my daughter get a breast reduction."
* Gabrielle has been bullied since last semester, according to KTVI. Fellow students allegedly sexually harassed the youngster about her large breasts. Jackson's 9-year-old son is in the same school district and he has been tormented to the point of making suicidal comments. Elijah had heart surgery and kids tease him about his surgical scars.
* Gabrielle is in sixth grade. Her mother has contacted the school superintendent who claims the district is "working on a plan" to solve the bullying issue.
* According to Fox4KC.com , school superintendent Clive Coleman said, "We're still investigating [the incident]. And to be honest with you, I think maybe it's a product of miscommunication, interpretation of information."
* School officials promised a resolution to both of the bullying issues facing Jackson's two children. The mother also told KTVI her resolution is to "talk with the kids. Let them know people's bodies are changing, everybody is different, but God made us all great."
* Central Middle School is part of the Riverview Gardens School District in Moline Acres. One of the tenets of the district's "vision and mission " includes "all people have dignity and worth, and must be treated with respect."
* The Huffington Post piece reveals 14-year-old Nadia Ilse had plastic surgery in 2012 thanks to the Little Baby Face Foundation. The nonprofit organization paid $40,000 for the young lady's surgery. As many as 219,000 cosmetic surgeries were performed on teenagers from 13 to 19 years old in 2010.
* The Riverview Gardens School District hired a new superintendent who starts July 1. Scott Spurgeon "will lead the struggling north St. Louis County school system," according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch . The hire was announced Friday.
* Moline Acres has an estimated population of 2,441 residents in 2011. The small suburb is less than two miles from the Mississippi River north of St. Louis.
William Browning, a lifelong Missouri resident, writes about local and state issues for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Born in St. Louis, Browning earned his bachelor's degree in English from the University of Missouri. He currently resides in Branson.
