Family of 12-year-old girl, who died by suicide from bullying, receives largest settlement of  bullying case in New Jersey history



The family of a 12-year-old girl who died by suicide after being relentlessly bullied has been awarded the largest settlement of a bullying case in New Jersey history.

On June 14, 2017, sixth-grader Mallory Grossman committed suicide after being bullied by classmates at Copeland Middle School in Rockaway Township, N.J.

Some classmates reportedly asked the struggling 12-year-old, "When are you going to kill yourself?"

Court documents reveal that Mallory's parents had multiple meetings with school officials before her suicide regarding their daughter being bullied. The parents allegedly even met with school officials on the day that Mallory took her own life.

Dianne Grossman described her daughter's abuse in June of 2018, "We used to say, 'Go jump in the lake.' That was a funny thing to say. Now our kids are saying, 'Go kill yourself.' We've got to recognize that that type of language has to be intolerable."

Grossman added, "The poor behavior and the poor decisions that these children make, it's still continuing. These children have not changed."

Mallory's parents say that their daughter had her chair constantly kicked while she was in class.

"Putting an end to bullying is not something achieved by individuals operating alone, it is done by a community banding together," states the anti-bullying website dedicated to Mallory. "We achieve this by unifying students, teachers, kids, and adults alike, against bullying and anyone who seeks to make less of, or cause harm to others."

The parents allege that school officials advised them not to lodge a formal complaint during the meeting.

Dianne Grossman described Mallory as a "quiet child," who was a gymnast and a cheerleader who "loved the outdoors."

This week, the family was awarded $9.1 million settlement from the school district — the largest payout in New Jersey history for a bullying case.

The deceased teen's family support legislation known as "Mallory's Law," which states: "Revises provisions required in school district's anti-bullying policy; provides for civil liability of parent of minor adjudicated delinquent for cyber-harassment or harassment; and increases certain fines against parents."

Grossman family attorney Bruce Nagle said, "This settlement is one more step in dealing with this avoidable tragedy and I hope that it sends a clear message to all schools around the country that our children must be protected from the horrors of school bullying."

Dianne Grossman told NorthJersey.com, "Seth and I are satisfied with the settlement, ready to put this part behind us and move forward, continuing to lend our voice to the epidemic that is stealing our children’s future."

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Attorneys say Rockaway School District settles $9.1M cyberbullying lawsuit www.youtube.com

New York bullies bust a boy's nose after allegedly luring him to park in his Spider-Man costume



A 15-year-old boy from Hudson Falls, New York, was reportedly lured by bullies in his Spider-Man costume to a local park, where he was savagely attacked and left with a broken nose.

Footage of the attack has emerged online, showing middle schooler Aydin Pedone dressed as the iconic costumed hero, fielding insults and jeers from passersby.

One classmate can be heard asking whether Pedone's "spider sense" is "tingling."

Amid the insults, a girl in red approaches Pedone, winds up and attempts to hit him in the face with an open-handed strike. While Pedone deftly dodges his attacker's first attempt, she lands her second with a crack.

Pedone staggers back, holding himself up by a metal gate, as the girl strides away, laughing. He ultimately yanks off his mask, revealing a bloody mess of a nose. Though wounded, he did not reciprocate with violence.

The Hudson Falls Police Department confirmed in a statement that around 4:30 p.m. on June 21, the boy was struck in the face by a 14-year-old girl and "sustained significant injury to his nose, which will require further medical intervention."

The 14-year-old girl was later arrested and charged with one count of assault in the second degree, a class D felony. She will appear at the Washington County Probation Department at a later date.

The boy's mother, Shellie Pedone, noted that his affinity for the Marvel character has elicited scorn and abuse from other kids, particularly after he started the sixth grade, reported the New York Post.

"My son was attacked for the purpose of bored teenage entertainment, targeted for being different than them, and viciously attacked because of having the courage to stand out from the crowd and be himself," Shellie Pedone, the boy's mother, wrote on Facebook. "He has that kind of heart that only sees the good in people. Is this the kind of kid that deserves to have his nose broken, unprovoked, and witnessed by nearly a dozen peers standing around to watch, record and laugh at him?"

Support has poured in from others in the community who recognize Pedone as a "gentle and loving kid" who had taken to wearing the costume to advocate against bullying at school.

An individual identified as Edward Anthony started a fundraiser for the lad to "show Aydin that he is a true hero," adding, "Aydin is a very kind kid, who loves comics, videos games, and cosplay. He is regularly bullied in school, and this situation is absolutely unacceptable."

The GoFundMe has already raised over $11,455 to send the boy and his family to the Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure, where Spider-Man is a featured hero. Additional proceeds will allegedly go toward funding the 15-year-old's martial arts training, such that he'll know how best to respond to the next punch thrown his way.

"I am beyond overjoyed with all that has happened this week," Shellie Pedone wrote on Facebook. "Seeing my son's true spirit shine and fly high while crawling out of such a dark hole is a long overdue dream come true. ... The world can be beautiful, and it extends much farther than within the walls of a toxic school environment. I am beyond grateful for all the positive that has come out of this experience."

11-year-old girl committed suicide in school bathroom, her mother says bullying caused tragic death and shares daughter's ominous audio



An 11-year-old girl committed suicide because she was being bullied at school in New Jersey, according to the child's mother.

On February 6, Felicia LoAlbo-Melendez attempted suicide in a bathroom at the F.W. Holbein Middle School in Mount Holly, New Jersey. She was rushed to a local hospital, then transferred to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where she was pronounced dead two days later.

The Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office confirmed that her death was from complications related to her suicide attempt by hanging.

"An investigation into the student's death by the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office, which included a review of the school's surveillance cameras, determined that she was alone in the restroom when this tragic action occurred. The investigation further determined that no foul play was involved. The name of the student is being withheld by the Prosecutor's Office," the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office told NJ.com.

Compounding issues beyond comprehension, Felicia's father and Elaina's husband died two weeks before the little girl's death. New Jersey Transit Police Detective Alexis Melendez died of cancer in January.

The girl's mother, Elaina LoAlbo, claimed that her daughter was bullied for years by classmates at her school, and her death was preventable.

"They called her a furry. She was not a furry," LoAlbo told WCAU. "They called her gay. They called her straight. They called her bi. They called her all kinds of things."

"My daughter was being tortured within the walls of that school," LoAlbo added.

The mother said she met with school officials four times to report that her daughter was being bullied.

LoAlbo said Felicia sent roughly a dozen emails to school officials about the alleged abuse, including one communication just four days before her death.

"She’s telling her teachers. The teachers were witnesses to most of the bullying, physical altercations that were happening in classrooms and on school trips," LoAlbo said.

"She herself had written numerous emails to the administration detailing the events, yet no one was ever questioned," LoAlbo told NJ.com. "They have swept under the rug, the bullying that she and so many other kids in that school have encountered and now they're doing the same with this investigation."

In one email, Felicia asked school officials to offer a "trauma club," where students could have a safe space to discuss mental health issues.

"Instead of a drama club, it would be a Trama [sic] club! Trama [sic] is not a light subject to talk about, but I believe that having somewhere that people can go to, destress and let out all of their feelings and emotions," Felicia wrote.

"I hope that this does happen," Felicia said. "I, for one, have heard from my friends and others about things that have happened to them and I think this would be a fantastic thing. Have a great night."

Elaina shared an ominous audio recording on Felicia's cellphone where the 11-year-old girl is telling people to be nice and "don't be a bully."

"Never ever ever ever be a bully," Felicia said in the audio. "Never be a bully. Or no one will talk to you. But I don’t want that."

Robert Mungo, superintendent of the Mount Holly Township School District, said they were cooperating with the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office.

"Our district suffered a loss, which continues to weigh heavily on the school community," Mungo told Fox News. "School counselors and administrators, with the support of the Burlington County School Crisis Response Team, have and will continue to increase outreach to students and staff and are prepared to aid them in processing this latest information as they continue to grieve."

"We remain focused on strengthening our support system for students, especially regarding their social and emotional well-being," Mungo added. "Beyond that, we are committed to a culture that involves our entire school community in making our schools safe and secure for every student."

LoAlbo declared, "My next steps will be so that no other parent has to fight like I do and no other child ever has to suffer like my daughter has."

Mom of Girl Who Died by Suicide at NJ School Says Her Daughter Had Been Bullied for Years www.youtube.com

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Middle schooler placed in choke hold, gets neck wrenched; school allegedly faults victim while attacker, said to be a wrestler, is less severely disciplined



In the wake of a viral video showing a boy seated at a Texas school lunch table being placed in a choke hold, dragged from his chair, and then getting his neck wrenched, parents of the attacked student said Coppell Middle School North determined their son was at fault and that he received harsher discipline than the attacker.

What are the allegations?

The mother of Shaan Pritmani said in a Change.org petition — signed by more than 360,000 people as of Thursday morning — her son was "physically attacked and choked by another student at his middle school" during lunch May 11. The mother, Sonika Kukreja, added that the school said her attacked son "was at fault and received a 3-day" in-school suspension while "the aggressor only received a 1-day ISS."

The petition adds that the victim's friends shared video of the assault and said Shaan "wasn't at fault" — but school officials weren't changing their ruling. In addition, the petition claims the school resource officer "refused to file a citation because school administration asked it not be written, as there have been too many bullying complaints lately."

In addition, the petition states the boy who placed the choke hold on Shaan "is on the wrestling team and can be seen carrying out a very dangerous carotid restraint on Shaan's neck. This technique restricts blood flow to a person's brain by compressing the sides of the neck where the carotid arteries are located. Shaan appears to briefly lose consciousness at the end of the neck choke maneuver."

A WFAA-TV reporter posted the following tweet containing a blurred video of the attack. Content warning: Profanity:

14 y/o at Coppell Middle School North gets assaulted in the cafeteria, while students just watched.\n\nTeen in chokehold faced 3days of punishment. His parents are outraged. Other teen faced 1 day of punishment.\n\nTeen tells me, he didn't want to fight back, & get in trouble.\n@wfaapic.twitter.com/f2Clha8qpF
— Malini Basu (@Malini Basu) 1652742642

Here's a link to an unblurred clip of the attack.

What else did the mother of the attacked student say?

“It was horrible. I couldn't sleep for three nights straight. It felt like I was being choked. I cried many times watching it,” Kukreja told KXAS-TV.

"His neck could’ve snapped," she added to WFAA-TV. "I wouldn’t have my son."

Image source: KXAS-TV video screenshot

She added to the station that she's "deeply concerned about the safety of our children and the message our school board, our police department, is sending out by not acting on this."

What did the school district have to say?

“Coppell ISD is aware of a video circulating on social media showing an incident at Coppell Middle School North involving a physical altercation between two students," Superintendent Brad Hunt said in an email to parents. "Bullying, both verbal and physical, as well as physical acts of aggression are never acceptable and do not align with who we are at CISD and our core values." The email added that "because of student privacy laws and this being an ongoing investigation, we cannot share any further specifics on this situation or student discipline matters."

What did the attorney for the other student have to say?

Mark Lassiter, attorney for the family of the other student, told KXAS his client was responding to vulgar and violent threats against his family.

“We are confident that after all the facts are revealed, the case will be closed and no further action will be taken other than what the school has already decided was appropriate," Lassiter told KXAS.

In a statement to WFAA, Lassiter said, "We welcome a chance for the truth to come out that the young man who was pulled from the table made threats."

What did the attorney for Shaan's family have to say?

Marwa Elbially, attorney for Shaan's family, told KXAS she denies the accusations and said the attack shouldn't have happened.

“The school can preach all it wants that they're anti-bullying and place it on their website, but they are sending a message to this kid and the rest of the student body that this behavior is acceptable,” Elbially added to KXAS.

Image source: KXAS-TV video screenshot

Elbially added to WFAA that the student who put the choke hold on Shaan "could’ve potentially paralyzed or have killed him. No real action is taken against that kid."

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