"My son's phone had a Russian flag and coat of arms sticker. That's where it all started." The father of a Baranavichy schoolboy told how his son was bullied by classmates

The story of the schoolboy from Baranavichy widely spread across social networks. Sixth-grader Lev Rusan is constantly bullied in the class he joined in September 2025. He said in a video that he "awaits September 1st with horror," because every time he enters the classroom, he hears words like "fatty," "get out of our gymnasium." The video stated that the boy was "beaten several times by a crowd," and his personal belongings were "flushed down the toilet."

"Onliner" spoke with Lev's father. Stanislau says that the family had already changed schools twice due to conflicts before this.

The father says that previously the family "avoided conflicts," and described one of the episodes in detail.

"In primary school, we first studied at a gymnasium – two and a half years we studied. Then it happened that Lev had a Russian flag and coat of arms stickered on his phone case (we often go to Smolensk, bought it there). The children forced him to remove all of it; that's where it all started…

So we went to another school nearby.

There, in junior grades, everything was fine as long as they had one teacher. But then, when Lev went into the fifth grade, new students arrived — a couple of them. And clashes began between him [and his classmates]… And so I pull up one time, and the children are fighting — mine and another boy. I separate them, holding one and holding the other. Mine calmed down, but the other kept going at him. And I had to be more forceful to rein him in when he kept going."

Last September, Lev transferred to a gymnasium where interactions with peers went sour almost immediately. When asked if different political views could have influenced it again, Stanislau answered in the negative: that issue has nothing to do with it. In his dad's opinion, the boy simply stood out due to his behavior in class, sometimes making comments to peers.

"He is a very modest and shy boy. At the same time, you need to know how we raised him. We are people of the old Soviet mold; we believe that swearing is bad, smoking is bad, drinking alcohol is bad. And we instilled all these principles in him. And when he comes and sees something completely different in class, he might make a remark to someone: 'Don't swear, stop it.'"

In the new gymnasium, the situation escalated from last October: Lev's belongings started disappearing and getting broken.

"Teachers found his diary somewhere on the other side of the gymnasium, his backpack was even flushed down the toilet, clothes were torn. Insults every day: obscene language, words like 'fatty,' 'animal,' 'get out of our class.'"

They call him names, and he can't stand it and talks back. And, naturally, word for word…"

Павялічыць

After learning about what was happening in class, the father contacted the class teacher and the parents of other children.

"I tried to reach out, asking: 'What's the problem, what are the complaints against Lev?' They answer me: 'I'm fed up, I hear about this Lev every day at home.' They said that my son was provoking someone, meaning he was doing it first.

— Do you admit that Lev might have provoked the children first?

— I admit that maybe something happened at first… But no, I know my son: he wouldn't do that first. Most likely, he responds because he won't stay silent."

The father describes a series of incidents starting from January 2026: a fight near the gymnasium exit (Lev was pushed into the snow), a fight at school with injuries, an episode where a classmate bit him. According to him, the administration was inactive ("the gymnasium director rudely refused to assist us"), and at parent meetings, he was booed, "we had no choice but to leave the meeting to the joyful applause of other parents."

Then the father decided to protect his child using his own methods and for over a month went to school with Lev to accompany him during breaks. Stanislau works on a rotational basis, so he had this opportunity.

And from April 9, a social pedagogue was assigned to Lev, who also accompanied the boy during breaks between lessons. But, as the father claims, even this did not help. The school year ended with an incident in the cafeteria — in that rare moment when the pedagogue was not nearby. Here is Stanislau's version:

"The camera shows Lev approaching a table where there are free seats. And his classmates tell him: 'Get out of here,' — although they don't have assigned tables by family name. That's where it all started.

In class, Lev sat at his desk, and he and another boy insulted each other. And then one girl, who, by the way, participated in a fight in January, started defending the classmate, began calling Lev names. He told her: 'What did you say?' She hit him on the head with her hand, and he grabbed her hand. According to her testimony, Lev grabbed her tightly and didn't let go; it hurt her very, very much. Because of this, she bit him."

Павялічыць

Stanislau also claims that he offered to install cameras in the classroom at his own expense — but was refused. The family categorically refused to transfer to another school, believing that such an "admission of guilt" would teach other children impunity.

Version of other parents

Other parents signed a collective appeal with an opposing interpretation: they claim that it is Lev who "systematically insults classmates," violates personal boundaries ("the student used a desk-mate's clothing to wipe nasal (mucous) secretions"), and behaves demonstratively during lessons.

According to them, over six months, six complaints against other children were filed by Lev's parents with the inspectorate for minors, and none of the checks confirmed the elements of a legal violation. The parents accuse Lev's legal representative of "abusing the right to appeal to state bodies" and ask to protect the class from aggression by the boy's family.

According to Stanislau, this collective appeal was signed by 18 parents.

What is confirmed by documents

The psychological report of the Baranavichy Social-Pedagogical Center (dated 08.04.2026) noted that a "stable structure" of bullying was recorded, and the child was positioned "as an outsider." An anti-bullying plan was drawn up, and an accompanying pedagogue was assigned from April 9.

Independent diagnostics commissioned by the family (dated 18.06.2026) confirmed "systematic bullying."

For five recorded incidents (December 2025 – May 2026), the police found no administrative offenses. Only preventive talks were conducted with the class.

Medical certificates confirm that injuries occurred, though they were not serious.

The response from the regional education department (dated 02.07.2026) stated that no signs of suicidal behavior were found in Lev. The gymnasium was recommended to replace the class teacher, and the director was subsequently brought to disciplinary responsibility.

The police publicly stated that the family "is trying to create hype on the internet," with which the father disagrees.

What's next

At the time of publication, Lev was transferred to a parallel class for individual learning — a compromise that the father calls forced, noting that "the bullying is still not recognized."

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