The family of a former West Milford High School student is saying the district did nothing to protect their son from bullying throughout his years at the school.
The suit claims the West Milford Township School District, the board of education, former Superintendent Alex Anemone, high school Principal Matthew Strianse, assistant principals Nicholas Pollaro and John Schutte and Brian Bialkin, who is a teacher at the high school, failed to "take proper action to ensure" the student's "safety and welfare." Also named in the suit are at least five classmates who are accused of bullying.
The district did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The lawsuit, filed in state Superior Court in Paterson, described the years of bullying the student suffered at the hands of his classmates. According to the lawsuit, starting in the student's freshman year of 2018-2019, several students and teachers made "disparaging comments and harassed" the student over a medical condition and physical appearance.
The suit said between 2019 and 2021, the student was "constantly picked on and bullied by various students" because of his medical condition. According to the lawsuit, the bullying was reported to school officials but nothing was done to address the issue.
LawsuitsBergen school district employee claims retaliation after discrimination complaint
In December 2022, two of the students named in the lawsuit threw pasta sauce and a glass jar of olives at the victim's car when it was parked outside his house and the suit said it was done as a "purposeful attempt to deride" the victim's Italian and Hispanic heritage.
According to the lawsuit, the victim was in the parking lot of the high school in January 2022 and two students tried to taunt him into a fight and shoved him and another time during class, a student threatened to beat up and stab the victim. The suit said the second act of bullying was witnessed by the class and Bialkin and reported to Pollaro but nothing was done.
In March 2022, one of the students named in the lawsuit approached the victim in the hallway between classes, called him an expletive, shoved him and punched him in the face, the lawsuit stated. In May 2022, two of the named students instigated a fight and made "disparaging remarks" about the victim's girlfriend's appearance and another time in the same month while in the school parking lot, the victim was berated and threatened and cursed at. The next day, the same students blocked the victim from leaving in his car and punched him, knocked him down, jumped on him and continued to assault him when he tried to get up, according to the lawsuit.
The victim was taken to the hospital to treat his injuries including stitches for a lacerated lip. It was reported to Pollard and the police. A few days after the assault, the students drove past the victim's home and yelled that they were going to assault him again, the lawsuit stated.
In June 2022 another student doctored a photo of the victim and posted it as a way to "bully and ridicule" him, according to the lawsuit.
The suit accuses the district, board of education, teachers and administrators of failing to perform proper investigations into the bullying and didn't take appropriate actions to address and stop the abusive behavior and ensure the victim's "safety and welfare." The suit said the district failed to discipline the students who bullied the victim.
Most Popular
Comments / 0