Kids can be cruel. Often, such cruelty manifests itself in relentless bullying, so a high school in Newark, New Jersey, wants to prevent students from dealing with the effects of such treatment.

West Side High School principal Akbar Cook decided to open a laundry room on school grounds to help students bullied for having dirty clothes, reports ABC 7 News New York.

Cook has only been on the job for two weeks but quickly realized the high school had an issue with absenteeism.

Students who may have been between homes would miss days because of being unable to wash their clothing and bullying. In some cases, students would miss up to five days a month.

Before having the laundry room installed, Cook handed out clean clothes and hygiene products to those in need.

ABC 7 News reports Cook repurposed a football locker room and set up several washers and dryers for students to use.

"Because the kids feel that and they'll fight on that SAT or that test the same way you fight for them," Cook said. "That's who I am."

About $20,000 from the Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSEG) Foundation and other local foundations were gathered for the equipment, according to NJ.com. Students also work on STEM projects in an adjoining room called the Marketplace as they wait for their laundry.

"When school starts on [September 4], my kids will be able to use it daily after school," Cook told ABC 7.

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Newark West Side High School

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