A desperate Scots gran has been forced to remove her eight-year-old granddaughter from school after she was allegedly subject to vile racist slurs.
May McWilliams is desperately fighting to get Rio Brown into a different school after she reported being called ‘monkey girl’ and ‘chocolate girl’ by youngsters at Elderbank Primary in Irvine.
The eight-year-old, who lives with her gran after her mum sadly died in 2019, also told her granny she was slapped and kicked by other children before May formally withdrew her from her p3 class.
May said her first complaint - made after Rio was allegedly slapped across the face in the school dining room - was ignored by staff.
And while they initially tried to ‘weather the storm’, they both reached breaking point after the abuse allegedly became racist.
May explained: “When the bullying first started, I did try to hold back and see if we could weather the storm because we were dealing with a lot at home.
“Rio’s grandad and my husband Robert had just died and she had been helping me nurse him at home. She’d go in every day and give him a kiss or a cuddle.
"But Rio said the pupils were pushing her, shoving her and grabbing her by the arm and that a girl slapped her across the face twice in the dining hall.
“Then they were calling her racist names like ‘chocolate girl’ and ‘monkey girl' and asking her inappropriate questions.
“I raised it with the school and they said they would look into it, but I never heard a word back.
“I decided that I couldn’t keep sending this child into the lion’s den because she felt unsafe."
May believes Rio’s mum, Sarah, died in tragic circumstances at the age of 37 after she too was affected by severe bullying as a youngster.
Vowing not to let history repeat itself, the brave gran has said she will do everything she can to keep her granddaughter safe.
She added: “Sarah was extremely badly bullied at school and I couldn’t help her then because I didn't know what to do.
“I think that if she hadn’t been bullied the way she was, she wouldn’t be dead today. If I had managed to get her proper help, she would be alive.
"Now I know what to do and I just want Rio to go to a school where she’s not going to be bullied and I want Elderbank Primary to take action against this.
“My hair has turned white and is falling out with the stress of it all, but I’ll do whatever I can to keep Rio safe and happy.
"That’s all that matters.”
May said that she is now waiting for Rio to be transferred to another school, but is becoming increasingly concerned about her granddaughter's education.
She said: “After I pulled Rio out of school I was told I needed to put in a transfer request to get her into a different primary, but they’ve told us it could take up to 28 days.
“I feel for her. Her education is being neglected. It’s affecting her and she has become slightly withdrawn.”
"For now, we’re doing reading and studying at home and I’m planning to send her to drama school.
I’m not a school teacher, but I’m doing the best I can with what I’ve got.”
A North Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “If we receive an allegation of bullying, the school will take it seriously and investigate as a matter of urgency.
“We do not tolerate racism or discriminatory language and aim to ensure every one of our young people feels respected.
“It would be inappropriate for us to comment on individuals or matters relating to a particular school but we will be more than happy to speak to those affected.”
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here .
