Students with disabilities may face a more significant risk of bullying than their non-disabled peers. To protect them from being a target of bullying, peer advocacy—students speaking out on behalf of the bullied person—can be a powerful approach.
That’s precisely what three middle school basketball players, Miles Rodriguez, Chase Vasquez, and Scooter Terrien, did when they heard fans in the stands bullying one of their cheerleaders who has Down syndrome—Desiree Andrews.
“[The show has] a character with Down syndrome who is a cheerleader,” Desiree’s dad, Cliff Andrews, said in 2015. “And she said, ‘If she can be a cheerleader, I can be a cheerleader.’”
Most students don’t like to see bullying. Seeing the bullies giving Desiree a hard time, Rodriguez, Vasquez, and Terrien were mad.
The big-hearted eighth-graders decided to not just let it slide. Instead, they walked off the court and confronted her tormentors.
The boys took things a step further. “We asked our sports director to talk to the people and tell them not to make fun of her,” Rodriguez said.
After that, the three boys often walked with Desiree to class.
“They have really stepped up, almost like they are big brothers to her,” coach David Tolefree said. “It’s good to see.”
Rodriguez, Vasquez, and Terrien then got the word out and organized for Desiree some serious backup.
“Standing up, being a true team, not only a basketball team, but a team of people that are going to support somebody,” Timothy Nieman, one of the team’s players, said.
Cheerleader coach and teacher Laura Stone believes with Desiree on the team, she has helped her students grow. “She has been very special to us,” Stone said.
Needless to say, Desiree was moved by what Rodriguez, Vasquez, and Terrien did. She lauded their gesture as “sweet, kind, awesome, amazing” in a video on TMJ4 news.
