According to newly unsealed court documents, the parents of Phoebe Prince have settled their Massachusetts civil complaint with the South Hadley Public School District for $225,000. The case was resolved more than a year ago, but the financial figure reached was just revealed after a journalist went through the courts to obtain access to the information. Prince, whose family moved to the US from Ireland in 2009, hanged herself in January 2010 after spending months being bullied by other students at South Hadley High School. The 15-year-old became a target after she dated Sean Mulveyhill. The 18-year-old was the ex-of Kayla Narey, who was one of Prince’s bullies. Even after Prince and Mulveyhill. stopped seeing each other, the bullying continued online and in person.
After her death, Prince’s parents filed a complaint against the school district with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. Anne O’Brien and Jeremy Prince claimed the district of not doing enough to protect their daughter. The civil settlement was reached in November 2010.
It is the responsibility of school officials to make sure that students are not placed in harm’s way while under their watch. Fortunately, bullying, which has been known to occur at schools, is now being seen as a serious threat to a child’s safety and a potential cause of serious injury or death.
Thankfully, hazing is now also receiving attention as a dangerous activity among students that can cause serious injuries and even death. As our Boston injury lawyers reported in an earlier blog post, last month, police looked into allegations of hazing involving Andover High School students that attended a basketball camp this summer. Two of the participants were allegedly forced to eat a cookie covered in semen. Two other students have since been expelled because of the alleged incident.
Phoebe Prince’s Parents Settled School District Lawsuit for $225,000, ABC News, December 28, 2011
Expulsion, suspensions meted out in Andover hazing case, Eagle-Tribune, December 1, 2011
Bullied girl’s suicide has ongoing impact, MSNBC, December 27, 2011
More Blog Posts:
Andover High School Confirms Hazing Allegations, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, November 30, 2011
Salem, Massachusetts Sex Abuse Lawsuit Seeks Damages from Revere Van Company for Four Children, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, September 30, 2011
Boston Playground Accidents Can Cause Serious Massachusetts Child Injuries, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, September 10, 2011
To find out whether you have reason to seek financial recovery, you should speak with an experienced Boston injury lawyer today.