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What is a school's responsibility? Tukwila schools sued over bullying of autistic boy
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The Tukwila School District is currently being sued for not doing enough to protect a student from bullying over several years. The suit contends that the victim of the bullying, an autistic boy who is now 20, was harassed almost daily by several boys in 6th and 7th grade, and that the stress of the bullying led to an anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. He also contemplated suicide.
According to the suit, described in the Seattle Times, the bullies beat up the boy, punched and kicked him, hit him on the head with books, stole his things, and spit on him, among other things. When he and his family went to the school administrators for help, they allegedly told him to "fight back." He was also told not to contact his mother. Yet when he swore at other students at one point, he was punished. The bullies never received any punishment.
The boy was finally moved to a private school at the district's expense after an independent expert said it was needed to address his anxiety issues. When that program ended in 10th grade, the district wanted to place him in an isolated setting, but the family objected and pulled him from school. The district then sought a court order declaring him a truant.
A judge sided with the family and the district was required to pay for another out-of-district program for the boy to finish high school, which he did at age 20, after missing 2 years of school during the dispute.
The family is seeking $1.5 million in damages. The school district would not comment on the lawsuit but did state they have policies in place to protect students.
So what is the job of the schools when it comes to bullying? It is disturbing that nothing was allegedly done to stop the intense bullying that was occurring. With so many high profile examples of kids using guns to take out their frustrations for being bullied, it is clear schools need to take action. And while parents have a responsibility, as well, they are not present during the school day, and have no way of preventing bullies from harassing their children.
In too many cases, the bullies are some of the most popular kids in school, and as a result, they get away with way too much. Add to that the outdated idea that bullying is just a rite of passage for kids- we know that many kids suffer long-term damage because of bullying. If something had been done immediately to address the problems, the district would not have had to take on the additional costs of providing out-of-district care (which I happen to know is extremely expensive for school districts with already strapped budgets).
School districts need the financial and educational resources to address issues like bullying head on. Washington state has an anti-bullying law that has been in effect since 2003, but the state needs to provide funding for staff who can deal with bullying. We also need to make sure that schools take these kind of issues seriously. We owe it to our kids to make sure they are safe at school.
To read the Seattle Times article "Family sues Tukwila schools over alleged bullying of autistic boy" click here.
To read more about the Washington state Anti-Bullying law, click here.
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