In Texas, a woman is suing the local school district over the stabbing death of her daughter at school. The woman’s daughter had broken up with her boyfriend the night before. The ex-boyfriend had a history of violent assaults against others, particularly against young women who had rejected him. The victim allegedly told several teachers that she was afraid that her ex-boyfriend might hurt her, but no one seems to have filed an official complaint or report. The boyfriend tracked the girl down in school and stabbed her to death. He will serve between 3 and 4 years in juvenile prison.
The girl’s mother is suing the school district under Title IX, which provides equal opportunity for students in sports. The mother alleges that teachers and other school officials knew of the threat against her daughter’s life and did nothing to prevent the murder, and that this is negligence under Title IX, which also protects students from sexual harassment. However, to win the case, the mother will have to prove the school was aware of the harassment and took no action, which may be difficult.
I’m not sure what’s going on here. This kid had a serious violent history and no one listened to this girl when she said she was afraid? On the other hand, is it fair to sue the school district for several million dollars?
Title IX? It’s not related to sports or sexual harassment, I suggest the dumbasses pick a different law to sue by.
That in mind, they should sue the pencils out of that school if the girl truly did tell several people about her fears. However, it’s their word against the teachers’ unless someone comes up with witnesses/proof that she told someone.
February 18th, 2004, at 4:14 pm #What bothers me the most is that the parent(s) allowed their daughter to date this boy in the first place. If they knew he had a history of assault, what were they thinking, allowing this girl to get involved with him in the first place? How long did this girl feel she was in danger, and share that with others - I’m assuming more than a day or two, allowing someone to do something about it. From the mother’s accusations, it doesn’t seem that this was totally unexpected. If the mother also knew that the daughter was in danger, then it was the mother’s responsibility first to protect her child. It isn’t just the school’s responsibility to protect or raise our children. Where were her parent(s) when all this was going on?
When I read stories like this, it sickens me because it is just one other example in how a significant amount of people expect the school system, the media, our famous “icons” and so forth to raise our children, rather than the parent doing it. It is the parent’s responsibility to raise and protect the child - where were the parents when all this was happening?
Welcome to America, where the responsibility belongs to everyone but yourself.
February 18th, 2004, at 4:59 pm #We could make a perfect segue into video game violence here! Or any number of other issues where stupid people assume they can’t control their own actions. This just in, “Man pelted with meat from exploding hot dog cart sues scientist who coined the term Oxygen because it was a medium through which he was emotionally damaged!”
February 18th, 2004, at 5:07 pm #The law which she is using is stupid to use. But, as a ninth grade student who deals with a bully everyday, I’m glade some parents somewhere are taking action. I have reported my bully to the princepal himself, and yet nothing has been done. And our school is supposed to have zero-tolerance against bulling.
July 16th, 2005, at 10:24 pm #