School Denies Mallory Grossman Bullying Allegations In Court Docs

ROCKAWAY, NJ – The Rockaway Township Schools have denied all of the allegations made by the Grossman family in the wake of Mallory Grossman's suicide death, new court filings show.

In a response filed earlier this summer, the school district asserted that they acted correctly, and that Mallory's suicide was caused by factors outside of their control. They denied outright that Mallory's death was caused by any negligence on their part. Mallory's family says she killed herself following months of horrific bullying at Copeland Middle School that went unaddressed or improperly addressed by school officials. Both parties are seeking a jury trial.

The school and the Grossmans agreed on just one key point: that a meeting between principal Alfonso Gonnella, vice principal Jennifer Klak, guidance counselor Sonya Patel, the Grossmans, and, at some points, Mallory, happened on the morning of her death.

The agreement ends there though. In the suit filed by the Grossmans, they say Mallory was asked to sit at the principal's desk and speak to then-superintendent Greg McGann over the phone. They also alleged that Gonnella gave Mallory a poker chip and asked her to write her initials and the date on it. Alluding to a poker game, Gonnella is said to have asked Mallory, "Are you all in?"

Gonnella allegedly instructed the Grossmans to take Mallory home for the day because school was an unsafe place for her, while also acknowledging that he could get in "a lot of trouble" for suggesting that.

That version of events is denied by the school district. They did not describe an alternative version of the meeting. Mallory killed herself just a few hours later.

• Read More: Bullying Of Mallory Grossman, 12, Detailed In Wrongful Death Suit

Lawyers representing the school district and the town did not respond to requests for comment. The school district is being represented by a different law firm than the firm that denied the allegations last August.

Surprisingly, the school district named six students by their real initials as defendants, while the suit filed by the Grossman's named just four girls by placeholder initials (their parents and/or guardians are also named) as defendants. The reason for the discrepancy is not clear.

The district acknowledged that all six students were in the sixth grade at Copeland Middle School at the time of the alleged bullying. Their genders are not specified, but Dianne Grossman has said in interviews it was a group of girls that allegedly targeted Mallory.

A number of specific allegations of bullying are detailed in the suit filed by the Grossmans, including a group of girls kicking Mallory's chair in choir class, targeting her at lunch and telling her to kill herself. The school says they don't have enough information or knowledge to "form a belief of the truth," but they did outright deny that Mallory was subjected to name calling, including students calling her "ugly," "fat," or a "rich white girl."

They also denied that bullying resulted in Mallory being moved out of choir class, a subject the Grossmans say she loved.

• Read More: 6 Of The Most Disturbing Claims In NJ Bullying Death Lawsuit

In addition to the schools and the town, then-superintendent Dr. Greg McGann is personally named in the lawsuit. He has since resigned from Rockaway Township; a reason for his resignation was not provided. It's not clear if he has accepted a position in another district, or if he is not currently working in education.

A lawyer for McGann did not respond to Patch's request for comment. He has previously declined to comment.

Mallory's death remains under investigation by the Morris County Prosecutor's Office, spokesperson Peter DiGennaro told Patch. Citing privacy concerns and the fact that the investigating is ongoing, he declined to comment further on multiple occasions.

Follow Patch's reporting on this story:

• 1 Year Later, Mallory Grossman Lives On In Anti-Bullying Efforts
• Mom Shares 'Last Selfie' Taken With Mallory Grossman Before Death
• Mallory Grossman's Family Sues Rockaway Schools Over Bullying That Led To Suicide
• Bullying Against Mallory Grossman Wasn't Ignored, Rockaway School Officials Say
• Rockaway Schools Respond To Lawsuit Over 12-Year-Old's Suicide, Bullying
• Mother Of Rockaway 12-Year-Old Who Died Complained To School About Bullying
• 'Mallory's Army' Fights Back Against Bullying After 12-Year-Old's Sudden Death
• Rockaway 6th Grader Who Passed Away Remembered As Charitable And Outdoorsy
• Community Donates $64K To Family Of Rockaway Middle Schooler Who Died Last Week

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text the Crisis Text Line at 741-741.

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