Man Tells School Board Bully Shoved Head in Urinal 40 Yrs Ago, Reveals It Was Now Superintendent
Bullying is never okay. And even though time may pass, the sting of being bullied can scar someone for life.
A Texas man recently stood in front of a school board to explain the impact bullying had on him as a child.
Greg Barrett began by explaining that his legal name is actually Greg Gay. He told those in the room that he was “unbelievably bullied” because of his name, and became the subject of daily bullying because of it.
“I started out and I had teachers that bullied me, I had kids that bullied me, even the coaches. I had nobody to turn to.”
Then Barett described one day in particular that has stuck with him throughout his entire life.
“One day at lunch, I had my head shoved in a urinal where it busted my lip. I laid on the ground in a fetal position as the kids kicked me,” he said.
“I got up, rinsed my face off, I walked out of the lunchroom, walked straight to the principal’s office, and he told me that these kids would grow up someday. They won’t always be like this.
“But yet, here I am, covered in urine from lying on the ground under the urinal. And they sent me home.”
Barrett’s shocking story didn’t stop there. He revealed that he’d gone home that evening, taken out his father’s gun from a drawer, and put it in his mouth as he contemplated committing suicide.
“Because at this point I had nobody — nobody in the school system — to help me,” he said. “Is that the way this is going to be?”
At that moment, Barrett revealed exactly what he meant by pointing to Superintendent Lance Hindt and saying, “Lance, you were the one that shoved my head into the urinal.”
After that, Barrett quickly left the podium as Hindt appeared to laugh off the accusation.
Out of view, Barett responded, asking,”Do you want to debate? Because I got witnesses that were there when it happened.”
Superintendent Hindt later released a statement denying Barrett’s claim.
“It was difficult for me to listen to a gentleman Monday night recount a bullying incident he said occurred more than 35 years ago,” the statement said.
“As superintendent in three school districts in Texas, I have always tried to create an environment where every student is safe — physically and emotionally. But when an individual impugns my character and reputation as the instigator of those actions, I am disappointed because it simply is not true.”
He added that the principal of their school would have never allowed such actions to take place.
“I do not suggest that Mr. Barrett was not bullied, only that I was not part of it. Bullying is wrong. Period. It was then and it is today,” the statement concluded.
Another local businessman came forward the same day as Barrett, validating parts of his claim by stating that Hindt was a bully throughout middle school and high school.
Even so, the school board stands behind Hindt.
“The board fully vetted Dr. Lance Hindt before hiring him two years ago,” said Katy ISD board president Ashley Vann. “His strong leadership and fulfillment of our vision since then has affirmed our decision. We stand united with Dr. Hindt today.”
Since Barrett’s video went viral, one boy from the bathroom incident apologized to him, and he hopes Hindt will too.
“People change. They do stupid stuff when they’re young,” Barrett said. “I just want him to acknowledge it, say he’s sorry and make some changes so this doesn’t continue to happen.”
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