ENUMCLAW, Wash. — A family of a former Thunder Mountain Middle School student is suing the Enumclaw School District after the family said school and district staff failed to protect the student from being physically and verbally attacked.
The notice of a $1.2 million claim regarding extreme bullying and failure to protect a child was filed in King County Superior Court Wednesday morning.
WARNING, GRAPHIC LANGUAGE: Read details of the claim here.
The parents of the student said several groups of students pushed, tackled, kicked and beat him for two years.
The parents showed KIRO 7 a police report they filed after one attack at a seventh-grade social event.
Andrew, who did not want to share his last name, said, “They broke part of my braces in the top right corner, basically off of the tooth.”
He also suffered a bloody nose, red marks on his face and bruised ribs. He said the bullies gathered in a circle, and one student even recorded it on video.
KIRO 7 confirmed with the Enumclaw Police Department that they took such a report. Police said they turned the case over to the school to handle.
The family’s attorney, Yvonne Ward, showed KIRO 7 a log of abuse the school maintained. She said this is unusual for bullying cases she has worked on.
“This is the first time I’ve seen a log of abuse prepared by the school, documenting over 30 reports,” Ward said.
The log shows cases where Andrew came into the office with a split lip, or with reports of name-calling or threats. Andrew said the bullies used harsh words.
“Excuse my language: f---t, r---d, gay,” he said.
He said school staff moved his locker location several times and suggested he leave classes early or late to avoid the bullies.
Andrew’s mother, Tonya, also said the superintendent suggested he go to an alternative school.
“Wow, this is their answer … is to take the victim, and remove them,” Tonya said. “It left me feeling like I couldn’t help my son.”
She said she feels angry at the school’s actions, and upset by how despondent her son became. She said he even thought about killing himself, so she took him to a hospital.
“There’s a culture at the school that I really feel protects the bullies more than the bullied,” said Chris, Andrew’s father.
The parents said they felt legal action was a way to get the school to strengthen their policies in protecting children.
This school year, the family has worked with Enumclaw High School, where Andrew currently attends, to create a safety plan.
Many of the same alleged bullies now attend the same high school, and Andrew said he has not been bothered recently.
He told KIRO 7 he doesn’t know why he was picked on to begin with, and he still maintains the hyper-vigilance he developed in middle school.
“I keep having to watch over my shoulder, just waiting for something to happen,” Andrew said.
The Enumclaw School District sent KIRO 7 this statement:
“Due to student privacy laws, the District cannot comment on the allegations about what happened two years ago. We can state, however, that school administrators met with the parents and the student as recently as this August and there have been no concerns raised by them this year or last year about harassment or bullying.
The District takes allegations regarding student harassment or bullying very seriously. We are committed to promoting a safe learning environment for all students and actively work to instill positive character traits and values in our students. Any student who believes he or she has been the target of bullying is encouraged to report such incidents to any District staff member. The District investigates all reported bullying and takes appropriate corrective measures if a complaint is substantiated. The parents could have elevated their concerns to the superintendent and then the school board if they were not satisfied with the school’s handling of their concerns. They did not do so.”
Andrew’s mother, Tonya, told KIRO 7 she did in fact speak with the superintendent at the time. KIRO 7 has also obtained a copy of a letter sent by Andrew’s father to the school principal that was cc’d to Superintendent Mike Nelson.
When asked about district policies regarding bullying, a human relations official directed KIRO 7 to the school’s web page, which describes the following consequences for bullying:
1st offense – in-school suspension
2nd offense – short-term suspension
3rd offense – long-term suspension
The district has not told Andrew’s family nor KIRO 7 whether any students were disciplined, due to student privacy laws.
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