What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Maryland
Let me apologize in advance for the long post, but, there is a lot of information I think is important to know.
My son is 11 and in 6th grade. He also has autism and adhd, both diagnosed by a psychologist. He has an IEP in school. All of the following incidences happened at school. For the past 2 1/2 months he's been getting bullied. The first attack was a girl who stabbed him repeatedly in the arm with a pencil, then punched him in the same arm. I went immediately to the school when the nurse called me, and spoke with the vice principal. He told me her reason for assaulting my son... she was having a bad day. The vice principal said he would "take care of the problem" but she just got a verbal reprimand. The second time, he was hit in the back of the head with a folder. My son, assuming he was playing, hit the child with the same folder. The child proceeded to punch him in the face. My son returned back to his chair and the kid came to him and grabbed the back of his neck, then tried to knock his feet from under him. He had bruises for several days. Again, I went immediately to the vice principal and was told the same thing. The third time, his belongings were repeatedly being knocked to the floor and cursed at by 3 students. Again, I went back to vice principal, same response. The fourth time, he was hit in the back of the head with a drum practice board from a music class by one of the 3 students in the prior bullying. I went back to the VP again, same response. By this time, we demanded a meeting with all of his teachers, vice principal and councelors. The assured us they would keep a better eye on our son.
The fifth time, 1 of the 3 coersed one of the others to hit my son with a drumstick. My son has bruises and swelling on his finger for several days after. I went back to VP again, in all these incidents, always same response, he would take care of it. I asked for an aide to be with my child to protect him, but he told me that the principal and he had discussed him and he didn't feel like he needed one and that he needed to find out what my son was doing to make him a target. I was outraged! I told him of course he's a target, he has autism, he rocks or repeats words and told him this was not his fault. The sixth time, 1 of the 3 kicked him in the back of his foot, leaving bruising on his ankle. The seventh time, the kid from the 6th incident ran into him full force with his shoulder, leaving a huge bruise on his back. My son has tried to tell the teachers of what is happening, and they refuse to do anything, like the principals. The guidance counselor and the psychologist did meet with my son, but nothing changed.
After this final assault, my son had a breakdown and had to be hospitalized. He told the psychiatrist that he was bullied every single day and he felt like committing suicide because he didn't want to be living only to be bullied. I did not know the full extent of the bullying occuring until my sons desire to kill himself. He is now in a locked down psychiatric hospital with diagnoses of severe depression and post traumatic stress. Aside from that, my son had been having mightmares about being bullied, he has terrible anxiety and is fearful of returning to that school. He's having to go on medication for his depression. The doctor told me that after talking to my son, she believes he would have been a fine, healthy, happy child had this bullying not occured.
When the principal was told my son was in the hospital because of the bullying, all of a sudden, she wants to give him an aide or transfer him to another school. I listened to what she had to tell me over the phone, but I did not respond with anything other than my son will not be going back to her school. I will be filing assault charges on each and every one of the children that has assaulted my son. Clearly the school failed to protect my son and My hisband and I are so angry and distraught that the school failed my son. We now get to see our son only a few hours a day and have 5 minute max phone calls. Is there legal action we can take?
Thank you for responding, Denise.
Let me apologize in advance for the long post, but, there is a lot of information I think is important to know.
My son is 11 and in 6th grade. He also has autism and adhd, both diagnosed by a psychologist. He has an IEP in school. All of the following incidences happened at school. For the past 2 1/2 months he's been getting bullied. The first attack was a girl who stabbed him repeatedly in the arm with a pencil, then punched him in the same arm. I went immediately to the school when the nurse called me, and spoke with the vice principal. He told me her reason for assaulting my son... she was having a bad day. The vice principal said he would "take care of the problem" but she just got a verbal reprimand. The second time, he was hit in the back of the head with a folder. My son, assuming he was playing, hit the child with the same folder. The child proceeded to punch him in the face. My son returned back to his chair and the kid came to him and grabbed the back of his neck, then tried to knock his feet from under him. He had bruises for several days. Again, I went immediately to the vice principal and was told the same thing. The third time, his belongings were repeatedly being knocked to the floor and cursed at by 3 students. Again, I went back to vice principal, same response. The fourth time, he was hit in the back of the head with a drum practice board from a music class by one of the 3 students in the prior bullying. I went back to the VP again, same response. By this time, we demanded a meeting with all of his teachers, vice principal and councelors. The assured us they would keep a better eye on our son.
The fifth time, 1 of the 3 coersed one of the others to hit my son with a drumstick. My son has bruises and swelling on his finger for several days after. I went back to VP again, in all these incidents, always same response, he would take care of it. I asked for an aide to be with my child to protect him, but he told me that the principal and he had discussed him and he didn't feel like he needed one and that he needed to find out what my son was doing to make him a target. I was outraged! I told him of course he's a target, he has autism, he rocks or repeats words and told him this was not his fault. The sixth time, 1 of the 3 kicked him in the back of his foot, leaving bruising on his ankle. The seventh time, the kid from the 6th incident ran into him full force with his shoulder, leaving a huge bruise on his back. My son has tried to tell the teachers of what is happening, and they refuse to do anything, like the principals. The guidance counselor and the psychologist did meet with my son, but nothing changed.
After this final assault, my son had a breakdown and had to be hospitalized. He told the psychiatrist that he was bullied every single day and he felt like committing suicide because he didn't want to be living only to be bullied. I did not know the full extent of the bullying occuring until my sons desire to kill himself. He is now in a locked down psychiatric hospital with diagnoses of severe depression and post traumatic stress. Aside from that, my son had been having mightmares about being bullied, he has terrible anxiety and is fearful of returning to that school. He's having to go on medication for his depression. The doctor told me that after talking to my son, she believes he would have been a fine, healthy, happy child had this bullying not occured.
When the principal was told my son was in the hospital because of the bullying, all of a sudden, she wants to give him an aide or transfer him to another school. I listened to what she had to tell me over the phone, but I did not respond with anything other than my son will not be going back to her school. I will be filing assault charges on each and every one of the children that has assaulted my son. Clearly the school failed to protect my son and My hisband and I are so angry and distraught that the school failed my son. We now get to see our son only a few hours a day and have 5 minute max phone calls. Is there legal action we can take?
Thank you for responding, Denise.
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