A case of two Polk County minors that are allegedly being charged with bullying 12-year-old Rebecca Sedwick to the point where she committed suicide is getting heavy media attention with the involvement of some high-powered attorneys according to Bay News 9. The case is a tragic one and brings to the forefront who is responsible to intervene in the case of severe bullying and cyberbullying.
More and more cases of young people committing suicide when they have been bullied at school and online after hours is bringing the subject of bullying to the forefront. For those with children who are being bullied, there may be many obstacles to making sure the bullying stops and children can go to school or go online in a safe environment.
More and more schools are taking zero-tolerance approaches to bully, even if the bullying takes place outside of school hours. This is in response to more courts holding schools legally responsible for the acts of students, especially once the school has been informed that bullying is going on. Gone are the days where bullying was overlooked under the assumption that kids were being kids and the bullying was something that was common in schools. After many high-profile bullying cases led to the deaths or injuries of students, schools have been forced to take a more proactive approach in protecting students.
However, not all schools have taken a zero-tolerance approach to bully; opening them up to liability in cases where there was bullying going on and they either knew or should have known about it. Recent trends in the law have increasingly held schools liable for the injuries sustained by bullying victims in such cases, whether it is direct injuries or mental anguish. Schools that have not taken active steps to control bullying face increased chances of lawsuits.
A school’s responsibility isn’t limited to simply school grounds or school hours when it comes to their responsibility to curb bullying. More and more, schools are expected to control student behavior even after school hours, meaning that if a school finds out about bullying taking place online or even after school hours, they must take steps to hold the bullies responsible.
In a case like Rebecca Sedwick, the alleged bullying was so severe that the school either knew or should have known that it was going on before a child felt the need to commit suicide. While the case is in the early stages of a criminal trial at this point, it is highly likely that as evidence comes out that there will be a civil case against the school as well.
If your child is being bullied, either at school or after school or online and the school has failed to act, your child may be entitled to collect for the mental anguish or physical injuries that they suffered. Help protect your child from bullies and contact Brooks Law Group today at 1-888-WE-MEAN-IT. The consultation is free and with a lawyer, you can help protect your child’s rights against a school and bullies.
