Victim of anti-Semitic incident at Stoughton HS speaks out on bullying

STOUGHTON, Mass. — A Stoughton High School student is coming forward to share his story as the school investigates yet another anti-Semitic incident.

Boston 25 News first brought you this story earlier in the week, and now the student is speaking out in hopes to put a stop the hate he's experiencing at school.

Brady Yanoff says he still doesn't understand why his classmates pick on him for being Jewish.

"Why do kids target people like us?" said Yanoff.

Yanoff says this week another student gave him the "Heil Hitler" salute at the high school.

"It kills me because he refuses to do his bar mitzvah or anything like that," said Yanoff's father.

Yanoff's father says his son now rejects his Jewish culture because of the bullying. Unfortunately, this week wasn't the first time he's experienced anti-Semitism in Stoughton Public Schools.

"I know it’s in the double digits between swastika last year, swastika the year before, and then a kid telling the person why don’t you go to the gas chambers like the rest of your family does," said Yanoff's father.

HIs father tells Boston 25 News Yanoff has received text messages telling him to kill himself, and was even sent to the hospital after a physical altercation in middle school.

This week, the high school principal quickly addressed the incident, sending out a letter to parents and suspending the student who targeted Yanoff.

"I will applaud the high school part for doing everything they did but now they’re dealing with the middle school’s problem, because the middle school did absolutely nothing for 2 years," said Yanoff's father.

After all the bullying, Yanoff says he's not comfortable with going to school and was hoping high school would be different.

"Try to keep my head down in the hallway, make sure nobody notices me," Yanoff said. "My room and this house is the only place I feel safe because I don’t want to go out in the real world, I don’t want to get jumped I don’t want to get hurt anymore."

Yanoff's father says he hopes his son's story will send a message to other students and parents.

"I mean it shouldnt make a difference what you are, who you are, I just wish everyone would treat each other with respect," said Yanoff's father.

In the letter sent out to parents, the high school says they're investigating the incident and are taking it very seriously.

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