The family of a 12-year-old girl who took her own life after bullying at school is expected to filed a lawsuit against the school district this week.
According to the Washington Post, Mallory Grossman’s parents plan to sue the New Jersey school district, accusing school administrators of failing to intervene despite pleas from Mallory’s family, who were aware the 12-year-old cheerleader was being harassed and abused both at school and on social media.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Mallory, who was in the sixth grade, took her own life in her Rockaway, New Jersey, home just hours after her mother Diane Grossman asked school officials to do something about the unrelenting abuse.
And it wasn’t the first time Mallory’s mother had asked for help for her daughter, whose grades had deteriorated and who showed symptoms of anxiety after the bullying began. Diane even appealed to one of the bullying student’s mothers.
“I can confidently say I spoke to one of the parents the night before Mallory — before this. And I can tell you that the mother dismissed it, said it was just a big joke, and that I really shouldn’t worry about it,” Grossman said at a press conference on Monday, according to NBC News.
The family’s lawyer Bruce Nagel also spoke, accusing school administrators of ignoring “months of pleas” from the family.
“[Mallory’s] life tragically ended when her own classmates used this cellphone to drive her into this tragedy,” Nagel said. “For months there were texts, Snapchat and Instagram — she was told she was a loser, she had no friends. She was even told, ‘why don’t you kill yourself.’”
Nagel said Mallory’s family is taking this action to help stop the epidemic of bullying among teens and pre-teens and prevent future, avoidable tragedies.
Holding up a cell phone, Nagel reportedly said, “We are here today to bring light to the fact that this small device can be a lethal weapon in the hands of the wrong child.”
Rockaway Township School District attorney Nathanya G. Simon told NorthJersey.com that the school district had not yet received any notice of the lawsuit.
“We anticipate that we will be able to make a statement soon,” Simon said.
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