A 12-person jury panel found the Bossier School District and one teach at fault for an elementary student’s injuries, which were sustained as a result of school bullying. Our client, a student of Carrie Martin Elementary School in Plain Dealing, was just 10 years old when he was victimized by school bullies under the supervision of the teacher that was named in the suit. With attorney Justin Dewett of Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers representing the plaintiff’s party, the jury’s verdict awarded $125,000 in damages to the child, $25,000 in loss of consortium to his mother in addition to having his medical bills, which amounted to $12,674, paid in full by the School District.
The young boy was pushed off of playground equipment on December 10, 2012. When he went to the supervising teacher to report the incident, the teacher took little note of the children involved and simply told him to play on the other side of the playground. The young boy was then followed by the first child and the bully was joined by three others when the victim tried to free himself. Trying to free himself from their hold, the young boy was tackled several times and fell on his stomach, where his arm was broken when one of the kids reportedly jumped on him while he was down. The victim’s injuries required surgery and the placement of two rods in his arm.
The plaintiff’s party claimed that the teacher and the School District breached their duty to investigate and address reports of school bullying, demonstrating that the young boy’s mother and the young boy himself had voiced multiple concerns of bullying by the same children long before the incident. While the defendant’s claimed that Louisiana’s bullying laws were such that this claim was beyond the scope of the law, the jury found that a breach had been made and that the School and its teacher had handled the situation with neglect and improper supervision.
Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers is a proud advocate for the movement to end bullying. While we are glad that the jury found in favor of our young client and his rights, it saddens us to see this type of treatment experienced in Louisiana schools. If you or your child has been the victim of bullying, contact our firm to find out how our team wants to help you put an end to the abuse.
