I think that he should show her that he is no-nonsense with this. And that it won't be tolerated...
Is he being played ?
Possibly...
And like you said, teenage girls can, and will, be mean. just the way it is....
The anti-bullying thing in schools ?
Yea, that looks good on the flyers and hanging on the walls. From what I have seen, it's a smokescreen. Just to make parents feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
I was told that there were just a few weeks of school left, and they would keep an eye open for it. And hopefully it would "blow over" before next year.
I just think that he should charge hard, and back away when/if he needs to.