Hair-Pulling, Brawls, Dead Horse: Cheerleader Sues NY School

[Jilly_in_VA]

After more than a year of relentless bullying, including a brutal, hair-pulling beatdown that was filmed and posted online, things got so bad for a 10th-grade cheerleader in Long Island, New York, that her parents put their house up for sale and tried to leave the area altogether—but not before the teen’s emotional support horse “was tragically killed in front of her by the veterinarian.”

That’s according to a $6 million lawsuit obtained by The Daily Beast, which says the 16-year-old was promptly dubbed “horse girl” by her tormentors, whose vicious taunts about the beloved pet and ongoing physical attacks eventually drove the young woman from Smithtown West High School altogether.

The suit alleges the school, the school district, the Board of Ed, and the school superintendent were aware of what was happening but never did anything about it.

“The district does not comment on matters pertaining to litigation, but we take all allegations regarding bullying very seriously and thoroughly investigate such claims,” Smithtown Central School District Superintendent Mark Secaur said in an email. “We remain steadfast in our efforts to create and maintain a positive, safe and nurturing academic environment for all students.”

Not so, argues lawyer Kenneth Mollins, who is representing the cheerleader in the lawsuit.

“The law requires that schools act in loco parentis, or, ‘as parents,’ while kids are in their care and custody,” Mollins told The Daily Beast. “And it has become clear that schools cannot protect their students from bullying. They don’t have the staff, they don’t have the resources, the knowledge, or the know-how to protect students from violence by one student against another. There have been repeated cases, over and over and over again, where schools say they will take affirmative action. And then they do absolutely nothing.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/hair-pulling-brawls-a-dead-horse-cheerleader-sues-smithtown-school-over-bullying?ref=home

I can't understand why the parents didn't charge the girls win the video with assault, just for starters. Don't wait on the school to do something.....

[vlyons]

1. Bullshit. The school district could have expelled the bullies

nt

[Jilly_in_VA]

2. Of course they could have

And the parents could also have sent their daughter elsewhere...private school, out of district, anywhere else.

[canuckledragger]

3. In my experience, schools generally side with the bullies...

...and punish the ones that stand up for themselves and fight back.

Mostly because the bullies usually protected in some way (high school football champ, etc) and there'd be consequences if they held them accountable...