Boy Cheerleader Tyler Wilson Won't Quit Despite Arm Broken by Bullies

Sept. 27, 2010— -- An Ohio mom is disappointed that her son's school didn't do more to stop at least two boys who allegedly picked on her 11-year-old cheerleader son until the bullies beat him so bad they broke his arm.

She says the beating didn't break his spirit however. Tyler Wilson has vowed to continue cheering with hopes it helps him get into college some day.

"I'm going to keep going. I'm going to make a lifestyle out of it," Tyler told ABC News affiliate WTVG.

Kristy Wilson, of Findlay, Ohio, told ABC News that she knew her son Tyler would get some flak from classmates for joining a youth football cheerleading squad over the summer, but she never imagined it would turn so violent.

"The first thing I wanted to make sure of, when he said he was going to join cheerleading, that he understood the possibility was there that he would get teased and made fun of and he was ok dealing with it," Tyler's mom told ABC News today.

She says Tyler was okay with that and wanted to join the squad regardless. His love for gymnastics and tumbling made him a natural fit according to Kristy Wilson. Things were going fine for Tyler, she said, until some of his middle school classmates spotted him cheering the day before school started.

Kristy Wilson said the teasing began almost immediately, and she tried to work with Tyler on ways to handle it.

"I knew that some of the kids where teasing him, and we talked about ways to deal with that," Wilson said.

"His first reaction was the tell them to shut up and get verbally combative, and I told him you have to let them know it doesn't bother you... I didn't find out until we went to the school after he was injured that things were starting to get aggressive before that fight even occurred," Wilson said.

According to the mother and the police report filed on the incident, Tyler was walking home from school when two of his alleged tormentors approached him and punched him. As Tyler continued his walk home from school, the two boys continued to follow him, the police report said. Several small skirmishes broke out between Tyler and the two boys, according to the police report, and eventually one of the boys allegedly picked Tyler up and slammed him on the ground, breaking his arm.

Kristy Wilson filed a police report, but says she was shocked at what she heard when she met with Glenwood Middle School officials to discuss the incident.

"I didn't find out until we went to the school that things were starting to get aggressive before this fight occurred," Wilson said.

"When I went to the school, about two days after it happened to discuss Tyler's story, the principal said there was an incident Monday and the Friday before, that the boy who started the fight had jumped on Tyler's back and tried to start a fight," she said.

Kristy Wilson said if she had known that Tyler was being physically targeted said she would have certainly stepped in to stop the situation, going as far as removing him from the school.

"I really wish the school would have let me know a lot sooner, so I could have dealt with it sooner," she said.

Lt. Charles Wilson, of the Findlay Police Department told ABC News that both boys involved in the fight have been charged in youth court.

"One has been charged with felonious assault, the other with simple assault. One is a felony and one is a misdemeanor," Wilson told ABC News.

"It breaks down to the injuries. The broken arm is a felony," Lt. Wilson said. The second boy was allegedly involved only as far as "kicking and hitting" Tyler, he said.

Calls into both families of the boys charged were not returned. Their names are being withheld by ABC News because they are minors.

School officials say they are can't comment specifically on any discipline involving the boys charged, but measures are being taken.

"We really can't comment on the discipline, anything taken place on school jurisdiction has been dealt with appropriately," Assistant Superintendant Craig Kupferberg told ABC News.

"Glenwood Middle School has taken steps to help resolve the situation between the boys. Any kind of bullying -- physical, cyber, we're constantly trying to help students work through these situations or prevent these situations," Kupferberg said.

Kupferberg told ABC News, however, that he was not aware of any previous instances involving Tyler.

"It's an unfortunate incident and I hope, as the schools are trying to help, and I expect that they are, that the midget football and cheerleading are also taking steps," Kupferberg said.

According to Wilson and Kupferberg, one of the boys involved in the fight is a player in the youth football league.

Kristy Wilson said, "The cheerleading board has shown tremendous support and contacted the football board on Tyler's behalf," however she also added that the football board has thus far not disciplined the boy involved.

She said her son will cheer against the team the boy plays for on Oct. 10.

"In the last game of season my son is cheering against his team. Tyler plans on showing up, and the cheer parents volunteered to act as a security detail," Wilson said.

John Fenton, vice president of the Flag City Youth Football program told ABC News he was not allowed to comment on the situation.

Although Kristy Wilson is frustrated with what she sees as a lack of response from the football administration, she is more frustrated with any sort of response or reach out from the parents of the two boys allegedly involved.

"That frustrates me immensely. In my opinion I'm responsible for my child, and have a moral responsibility for my child," Wilson said. If Tyler broke another boy's arm she would reach out to the parents, offer to help with medical costs or anything else needed immediately, she said.

Tyler is healing, although the break was bad enough that it may warrant surgery his mom says. He is still participating with the cheerleading squad as much as he can, but his arm and spirit need time to mend.

"He's doing ok, up and down some days," Wilson said.

"He is still nervous about everything and what happened and his spirits are down because he can't fully participate in cheerleading still," Wilson said.

"The only thing that Tyler has said, he is sad because people can't accept him for who he is," she said.

According to Wilson male cheerleaders from high school and colleges across the country have reached out to Tyler to lend their support, and tell him not to give up something he loves.

"He has met with quite a few male cheerleaders in high school, college and competition levels who've talked to him and told him to stick it out. They've told him he can really make a life with it, and that's what keeps telling me, he wants to use it to go to college. If that's what he chooses to do, I'm all for it," Wilson said.

"He's fighting his way through it. Everybody he's talked to, he says he is not giving up," she said.