Social media use is a double-edged sword, at least in my experience.

Recently a message was sent to one of our sister newspapers via Facebook regarding accusations of bullying at a middle school in a neighboring school district.

A family of a student there, who is not being identified because she is a minor, is waging a public campaign via social media against both the middle school and the school district regarding bullying the teen has allegedly experienced at school.

A school district spokesman wrote in an email there’s not much he can say due to student privacy laws.

“We cannot discuss the specifics of any student’s personal situation nor the specifics of complaints, discipline issues, correction plans, etc.,” he wrote. “We are aware of the family member’s concerns and school leadership has been working to resolve the issues involved.”

That, however, is not the picture painted by the mother and the aunt on Facebook.

I have to admit I am, as a parent, wholly uncomfortable with the idea of putting this kind of information out there via social media but it seems to me that this mom is protecting her daughter the best way she knows how.

On the social networking site, the mother claims her daughter has not received help from the school counselor or administration team related to the bullying, which has apparently risen to severe taunting and name-calling by several classmates and even teammates. At one point, her mother said in a Facebook message May 29, the teen punched a student who was taunting her — which led to the teen’s suspension.

I was told via email by a school administrator there is a larger context to this situation but it couldn’t be discussed.

At the time of this writing I don’t know what to make of this situation.

What I can say is bullying is unequivocally wrong.

It appears that the student will not return to the middle school next year and instead will go to school online. Her mother said during our Facebook chat this bullying began in fourth grade and persisted well into middle school.

“I just don’t want this to happen to any other student and want them to enforce their zero tolerance policy for bullying and quit brushing these kids off,” the mother wrote in the Facebook message.

For the district’s part, its spokesman said, “Facebook and other social media bring us all great benefits in multiplying messaging and great challenges in honoring privacy. We appreciate the family member sharing concerns and encourage all of our parents/family members to bring their thoughts to the school and district leaders. But we also ask our community to recognize that while Facebook is a great forum for public discussion, the principal’s office is still the best place to work through the specific challenges students might face in their schools.”

Whatever is going on at this school needs to be addressed. I don’t know how, specifically due to the privacy laws being cited, that will happen.