Bullied Figure Skater's Parents Sue School

N E W   Y O R K, May 6 -- While in pursuit of his Olympic skating dream, 12-year-old Aaron Vays has endured physical and verbal abuse from fellow students, simply because he's a boy who likes to skate.

Bullies at two Rockland County, N.Y., schools taunted him daily, saying that skating is for girls, Aaron told ABCNEWS' Good Morning America.

"They call me like fag, gay, because I'm a figure skater, and things like that," Aaron said.

His parents, Boris and Polina Vays, say the cruelty didn't stop with words.

Proud of his second-place finish in a competition, Aaron took his trophy to school to show his principal, but another student destroyed it. The abuse turned personal and physical last November. One bully beat and kicked Aaron while another student held him down, the boy said.

"I got kicked in the rectum and it hurt so much, I had a bowel movement that time," Aaron said on Good Morning America. The boy suffered internal injuries in that incident, his parents said.

The injuries made Aaron and his parents realize it was time to fight back, they said. They filed a police complaint against the North Rockland County School District, charging that school officials failed to protect their son.

Two Sides

The school district has a different story.

"We have a code of conduct, and any situation that we disapprove of, we have set procedures and deal with," said Israel Bordanich, assistant superintendent of North Rockland County School District. "All the situations are minor, as opposed to what they would lead you to believe. In some cases, the student has initiated things."

Aaron said he did hit other students, but only when they started abusing him. "What are you going to do someone who hits you?" he said. "You're going to hit them back."

Aaron moved to another public school to try a fresh start, but he said the bullying continued.

So last week, the Vays enrolled Aaron in private school, hoping for the best. Aaron said he is doing much better in private school, where other students respect him and even want to see him skate.