NJ District Didn't Help Bullied Girl Who Attempted Suicide, Mom Claims

PROSPECT PARK, NJ — A Passaic County girl attempted suicide multiple times after persistent abuse from other students that the school district did nothing to stop, her mother claims in a lawsuit.

The mother filed the lawsuit on Nov. 26 against the Prospect Park Board of Education and several school officials on behalf of her daughter, a junior high school student. Patch is not naming the family to protect their privacy.

The girl's mother said the bullying has taken place "on an almost daily basis since September 2020" and includes both verbal and physical abuse.

Classmates have threatened to rape her, pushed her down the stairs, established an Instagram page to spread damaging rumors about her, and touched her inappropriately, the lawsuit states. She has also faced racial slurs and comments about her perceived sexual orientation and ethnic background, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit alleges that the mother told school administrators, teachers, and guidance counselors about the bullying for years, but the harassment and discrimination "continued unabated."

As a result of the bullying, the girl has been forced to miss class trips and dances and is at risk of falling behind in school because of the bullying and harassment, according to court documents. She also attempted suicide at the end of last school year and was treated at the hospital as recently as this October, the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit is alleging the girl's civil rights were violated because she was prevented from her constitutional right to an education, and that the district violated the state Law Against Discrimination by not taking "meaningful and/or efficacious" action to address and stop the abuse. It seeks a jury trial, and both compensatory and punitive damages.

An email to legal representation for the Prospect Park Board of Education was not immediately returned Friday.

New Jersey parents, school districts, and lawmakers have been putting a renewed focus on the topic of bullying in schools since the death of Adriana Kuch, a Bayville teenager who died by suicide in 2023.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. Spanish speakers can call 1-888-628-9454. People who are deaf or hard of hearing can call 1-800-799-4889.