Bullying is one of those things that should never be tolerated. Unfortunately, it occurs all too often today, especially in our nation’s schools. Even more unfortunate is how often bullying incidents tend to get swept under the rug. However, every so often, bullying cases are given the attention they deserve, resulting in some form of justice. For the families of two young students at Greenspun Junior High, justice was served when a judge “ruled against the Clark County School District (CCSD) in a potentially precedent-setting bullying case.”
Bullying is one of those things that should never be tolerated. Unfortunately, it occurs all too often today, especially in our nation’s schools. Even more unfortunate is how often bullying incidents tend to get swept under the rug. However, every so often, bullying cases are given the attention they deserve, resulting in some form of justice. For the families of two young students at Greenspun Junior High, justice was served when a judge “ruled against the Clark County School District (CCSD) in a potentially precedent-setting bullying case.”
What happened, though? Well, sadly two students from Greenspun Junior High School experienced horrific bullying while in band class, “including sexual harassment and even assault.” In fact, “one student was stabbed in the groin with a pencil.” Despite these horrific acts, CCSD seemingly turned a blind eye and failed to take action to protect the students or punish the bullies. As a result, the families of the two students filed a civil lawsuit against the school district “for failing to protect” the brutalized students.
In siding with the families, the judge “ruled that CCSD created the dangerous environment where the bullying took place and that the district knew that it was taking place” because the parents of the bullied victims had filed three separate complaints. In failing to conduct an immediate investigation, the court ruled that the “school officials conduct was deliberately indifferent and that the school district’s deliberate indifference to the numerous complaints of bullying forced the two students to remain in a dangerous environment which subjected them to more bullying and harassment.”
Additionally, the court also found that CCSD violated the students’ constitutional rights to an education under the due process clause. Following the court ruling, Allen Lichtenstein, an attorney for bullying victims, said: “It’s very clear that these kids were bullied and it’s very clear that school personnel knew about it and didn’t do what they were obligated to do.”
While the families of the bullied students are pleased with the court ruling, they eventually had to remove the two students from Greenspun Junior High School because of the escalation in bullying. Now that a judge has sided with them, though, the families “must now propose a potential dollar amount for the judge to consider.” Once a number is submitted, an attorney for the families believes a final decision either approving or denying the dollar amount will “come within the next month.”
Sources:
Families win bullying lawsuit against CCSD
Judge to decide Clark County School District bullying lawsuit
Join the conversation!