A Facebook post about an alleged bullying incident at Merkley Park in Highland, Indiana, has stirred up conversation in a local community group, with dozens of residents weighing in on parenting, discipline, and how kids treat each other in public spaces.
The post, shared by a user going by RedTulip458 in the Highland, Indiana, Facebook group, described a scene that played out at the park involving two families.
According to the post, one family included a mother, her daughter, and their dog, while the other consisted of two parents and their two children.
The poster says she witnessed the two children push the other girl off the playground equipment, allegedly telling her things like “I’m gonna kick you down” and “are you slow.” She claims the parents were on their phones the entire time and did not step in.
RedTulip458 said she felt for the other mother, writing that no child should have their day at the park ruined because of another family’s lack of supervision. She added that she asked the parents directly if they had seen what their kids were doing, but they were reportedly too distracted by their phones to notice.
Community reacts with strong opinions
The post quickly drew a wave of comments from other parents in the group, many of them frustrated by what they read.
Stacey Johns-Ziegler responded that her own kids would have faced serious consequences if they had ever spoken to another child that way.
Paola Torres pointed out that the way kids talk often mirrors the way their parents talk to them at home, suggesting the language used by the children may not have come out of nowhere.
JimBob Smith was more blunt in his response, saying kids tend to emulate their parents and that the behavior described sounded like a reflection of the adults involved.
Not everyone in the comments agreed on how to handle situations like this, though. ConfidentOwl529 pushed back a bit, arguing that bullying is never acceptable but that kids also need to learn how to navigate conflict and manage their emotions rather than relying only on adults to step in every time.
That comment led to a back-and-forth with RedTulip458, who responded directly and told the commenter to move on if they were tired of the discussion.
Jennifer Jlo Metzger-Ulloa asked the original poster a simple but pointed question, wanting to know if she had said anything to the other parents in the moment. RedTulip458 confirmed she did try to say something, explaining she asked the parents if they noticed what their children were doing, but said they seemed too absorbed in their phones to respond.
An anonymous commenter added that experiences like this are part of why she became a more hands-on parent and grandparent over the years, saying she taught her own kids and grandkids to stand up for themselves without becoming bullies themselves.
As of now, the post remains active in the Highland, Indiana, Facebook group, with new comments continuing to come in. The incident has not been independently verified beyond the original poster’s account, and the identities of the other family involved have not been confirmed publicly.
This story reflects claims made in a public social media post and has not been verified through outside reporting.
