Latest News 2012 July School Bully + Sexual Assault = Attempted Suicide

School Bully + Sexual Assault = Attempted Suicide

The mother of a seven-year-old boy has filed a personal injury lawsuit against a Miami charter school for its failure in protecting her child from sexual abuse and bullying, as reported by The Associated Press for the New York Daily News.

The boy, known as "John" in the lawsuit, due to the alleged abuse by an older classmate, attempted suicide to avoid further suffering.

The boy's mother, also remaining anonymous in the suit, claims that she spoke with administrators at her son's school more than once in an effort to halt the abuse.

The lawsuit was filed on July 2.

"John" reported to his mother in November 2011 that an 11 year-old student made him "do something nasty" while the boys were on a school bus. According to a police report, "J.R", as referred to in the suit, forced "John" to perform oral sex on him.

"J.R." allegedly threatened "John" by saying, "If you don't do this, I'm gonna hurt you."

"John's" mother contact the principal of Downtown Miami Charter School, Rebecca Dinda, about the incident. Dinda allegedly told the mother, "The assault would not happen again and that the two children would be separated and closely monitored."

Jeffrey Herman, the family's attorney, said that Dinda's assurances failed and the boy was threatened, bullied and sexually assaulted again.

The second sexual assault occurred in a restroom on the school's campus.

Herman told reporters, "They have a duty to prevent that harm from happening with these little kids. The school failed miserably."

"John" then responded to the attacks with two failed suicide attempts. In the first attempt he stood directly in front of traffic and then closed his eyes. The second time he took a metal hanger and purposely stuck it into an electrical outlet.

"John" has since begun taking psychological medications. He suffers with sleeplessness and has difficulty making friends. His mother believes that he will need years of psychological therapy to cope with his abuse.

The mother said, "It has been a nightmare, and I would not want anybody to feel the way I do."

The lawsuit names both the school and the bus company as defendants.

The school's operator, Charter Schools USA Inc. in Florida, refused to comment on the current allegations saying only that "student safety and security are among our highest priorities."

Herman said that due to the victim being a child and the abuser also a child it is unclear whether or not the abuser knew he was committing a crime. "J.R.", along with "John", is also being counseled by a mental health practitioner.

"John" will no longer be a student at Downtown Miami Charter.

Herman said, There will be big damages (in the millions) in this case. His life will never be the same."

A personal injury can be due to physical abuse, emotional abuse, or both. Contact a personal injury lawyer if someone has harmed you, or someone you love, to file your lawsuit.

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