For what it is worth, I'll present a contrary point of view. I was the type of kid that could have been bullied in school, but wasn't because I got an education on how to avoid the whole scene, with my mouth and not with my fists.
I once had a guy twice my size pile on me and throw two punches, one in my arm and one in my abdomen that hurt a fair bit - but I did not fight back. Instead I said "Well, you've got me where you want me - finish me off." Though I was scared shitless that he would, just as I was taught he said "Aren't you going to fight back?" I calmly said "No". He said "You're no fun", and off he came.
Another time someone else said "I'm going to get you in the parking lot after school tomorrow." I simply said "Thanks for telling me when and where NOT to be. If you'd like to beat me up, let's make an appointment we can both keep" and I pulled out my appointment book. By next year, this guy and I were actually somewhat friendly.
Given my experience, I think the amount of time given to both suspensions speaks volumes for what the school thought about was actually in the right. My belief is that most bullying can be prevented without violence, and I think the older and bigger boy could have just walked away. The fact is the bully is acting like a coward - courage, humility and understanding will easily deflate the situation.