SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla.,None — A bullying case in Seminole County just went to the next level. Parents are suing the school district. They told WFTV Monday the school did nothing to prevent violence against their disabled son after numerous warnings.
The parents of 15-year-old Ned Charles IV said the district let the abuse happen; he has a form of cerebral palsy.
"He had bruises all over his legs and his hands were all skinned up," said his father, Ned Charles III.
Charles IV may have recovered from his physical injuries from almost three years ago, but he's still shaken mentally. His parents said, after a week of harassment by a classmate, he was stomped in the head and stomach by the bully at Tuskawilla Middle School, which landed him in the hospital.
"No one called police or provided medical help for him," said his mother, Denise Sharpnack.
WFTV contacted officials with the Seminole County Public School System and found out, according to state policy, if a student is bullied it is up to the student to report the abuse so a member of the faculty can do something about it.
"He told his teachers all week long," Sharpnack said.
His parents are now suing the district for negligence.
"We didn't want the lawsuit. We just wanted things straightened out," Charles III said.
Their suit is part of a growing trend in Central Florida and nationally, according to the Florida School Board Association. As a matter of fact, Seminole County is dealing with two bullying lawsuits right now, with a third case pending.
But some question why it took the Charles family this long to file suit in June.
"For one thing, it wasn't about money. We just wanted them to take this kid out of his classroom," Charles III said.
The bully was suspended for five days. They hired the same lawyer that parents used in the Kathy Garrett case. Garrett is the Seminole County teacher charged with abusing autistic students.
The Kathy Garrett case cost the Seminole County School System more than $2 million in settlement claims.
The maximum settlement the Charles family could receive is $200,000. The school district will not comment on the case because it's still in litigation.