The parents of Billy Wolf, a 16-year-old Arkansas sophomore, are suing the teenagers that have been bullying their son for the harm he has suffered due to alleged incidents of assault and battery.
Video and audio evidence document Billy being hit and verbally harassed on multiple occasions. Billy, who has a learning disability, has reportedly been a target of bullies since he was 12 years old.
Billy’s parents say they have repeatedly asked school officials to stop the violence against their son, yet the bullying continues. In one incident, Billy was suspended for a fight that occurred on the bus, even though video evidence later showed that he was the one who was beaten.
When he was in the 9th grade, a few of his adversaries started a Facebook page called “Every One That Hates Billy Wolfe.” A picture of his face was superimposed on the image of Peter Pan. This type of bullying, known as cyberbullying, is against the law.
In another beating by a fellow student, Billy’s braces got caught on the inside of his cheek.
School records indicate that at least one official thinks that Billy provokes the trouble that comes to him. Billy’s parents have expressed frustration that school officials cannot seem to protect their son from being attacked.
The lawsuit names Ian Teeters, as one of the bullies, and a number of John Does as defendants. They are also thinking about suing the Fayetteville School District.
The family is seeking personal injury damages for medical costs, impaired physical and mental abilities, mutilation, mental anguish, pain and suffering, punitive damages, legal and court expenses, and other damages.
In Maryland and Washington D.C, our personal injury law firm represents clients injured by the negligence or recklessness of others, including cases involving injuries to minors.
A Boy the Bullies Love to Beat Up, Repeatedly, New York Times, March 24, 2008
Fayetteville student sues classmates over assault, NWANews.com, March 10, 2008
Related Web Resources:
Bullying Facts and Statistics, SafeYouth.org
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