July 9
Melbourne, Australia — The Hell family says it may tell a Catholic school in Australia where to go after it objected to enrolling their son because of his name.

Officials said the boy had been offered a place at the St. Peter the Apostle school in the southern city of Melbourne after discussions between the principal, the parish priest and the family over his name.

But Alex Hell said he would rather send 5-year-old Max elsewhere because the school balked at taking the boy over his family name.

"We are the victims of our name," Hell said.

Hell said he and his wife approached St. Peter the Apostle school about enrolling Max because the boy was being bullied at his current school because of his name.

The Catholic school supported a plan to enroll Max using his mother's maiden name, Wembridge, but then withdrew its invitation when the parents changed their minds about the name, Hell said. The school backed down and offered Max a place only when Hell took the issue to the media.

"The school has turned around and said Max can go there, but why would you want to go there after being victimized?" Hell said.

Hell said he had Austrian heritage and that the name means "bright."
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Kid will be better off not in a catholic school.
They reckon he was gettin bullied at his old school?? Those private schools are literally hell!

didnt the parents think that this would happen i mean a catholic school it was bound to happen they shouldve gone to a piravte school

I think the parents' handling of this and personal hang-ups and paranoia are causing the lad to get bullied rather than the name...

On another note..... Going to a Catholic school with the name Hell is likely to invoke MORE bullying from pupils surely?

Yeah I agree...he's better off in a public school. Sending a kid named Hell to a Catholic school is just asking for trouble.

Yeah I think the parents are nutters. ITs just a name for crying out loud.

"Smiths...jones...Hell....bloody hell...is BLoody Hell here today? Oh he's ill? Bloody hell not again"

I would have been changing my last name as soon as I was of legal age, and would not be exposing my child to that kind of ridicule.

Surname is 'Hell'.......... dang .......... I wouldn't want that type of name, I'd sure in hell change it.

So the man is Austrian... Well why not just change his name to Hölle. I'm pretty sure they wouldnt have as many problems with that...

I'd rather have the name Hell than that of my neighbor.. Hoare...

Oh good grief, it's the family name!

What about heritage? What about family pride?

Screw those kids that make fun of him. I'd tell them my first name was Damien and if they made fun of me they'd have Hell to pay.

If they're bullies, they'll just find something else.

Idiotic for the Catholic church to deny entry based on a surname! Ridiculous!

Hell yeah! don't change that name!

Wow! Whatta lousey surname. But he shouldn't have to give it up, people would find out anyways! And like others have said, others would find other things to bully him about. It's not like he got the name by choice! It's not like his parents said, "Oh, let's name our boy Hell, cause that's what being pregnant with him was like" or something like that!

Personally, I think I'd just add the letters I-O-N to the end! Yup, I'm a Hellion!! Live with that one, Mother Superior!!!

It is just part of growing up I suppose, how many of us were bullied for less... Let the kid keep his name and go to a school where he is accepted.

I must say though it is a very poor reflection on that Catholic school to prejudge the poor kid just for his surname, Talk about christian love and acceptance...