MORGANTOWN — The Monongalia County Board of Education (BOE) is being sued by a mother who claims her child was bullied to the point of self-harm.
The suit was filed in Monongalia County Circuit Court last week. The plaintiff, Jennifer Bishop, on behalf of her daughter, seeks unspecified damages for deprivation of equal access to education opportunities and benefits provided by Monongalia County Schools, emotional pain and suffering, ongoing mental anguish, healthcare expenses, loss of enjoyment of life and future lost earnings and earning capability, the suit stated.
Bishop’s daughter, was a student at University High School (UHS) in 2016 and before, according to the suit. She told officials at UHS that other students intimidated, harassed and bullied her, but the officials did not take action to stop the bullying. The “severe mental distress” caused by the other students bullying resulted in Bishop’s daughter harming herself, the suit claimed.
The BOE should have known about the bullying occurring within its school system and had a common-law duty to ensure the safety of students in its school system. The BOE breached its duties to Bishop’s daughter by failing to investigate or otherwise take meaningful action to address the bullying, the lawsuit alleges.
