BY EMILY MIBACH
Daily Post Staff Writer
The father of a Roosevelt School student is suing the Redwood City School District, claiming administrators were aware of an ongoing bullying problem that culminated in his daughter being attacked during lunch.
The girl’s father claims in a lawsuit, filed Dec. 20 in San Mateo County Superior Court, that the issue between his daughter and her alleged bully had gone on since the sixth grade, and that he repeatedly contacted Principal Tina Mercer to get the bullying to stop.
The Post reached out to school officials, who did not respond.
Mercer allegedly did not do anything about the parent’s complaints, and was told in January by the alleged bully that she was mad at the girl and was going to “beat her a**,” the lawsuit states.
Mercer didn’t tell the alleged victim’s parents or warn teachers about the coming attack, the suit claims. The principal also failed to investigate the issue or discipline the alleged bully, the suit further contends.
Attacked during lunch
On Feb. 1, the girl was attacked by the alleged bully during lunch, the suit said. The victim was playing catch when the girl came up to her from behind, and began to attack her, kneeing her in the head, punching her in the face and pulling her hair, according to the lawsuit.
After the attack, Mercer told the victim’s parents about the threat that had been made before the attack.
On March 25, the victim returned to school on a part time basis after getting a restraining order against her alleged bully.
However, it appeared to the girl’s parents that teachers and other school employees did not know about the restraining order because the alleged victim was “inexplicably seated next” to her alleged bully in one of her classes on her first day back, the lawsuit says.
Light punishment
The lawsuit also claims that the alleged attacker did not face a suitable punishment, only having to eat lunch in the school office for a week.
The father filed a legal claim, which is required to be filed before a lawsuit against a governmental body, on June 25 and was rejected by the district on June 27.
The father didn’t put a dollar figure for the damages he’s seeking. His suit says his daughter is owed “a safe, secure and peaceful educational environment, free from unwanted harassment, bullying threats, violence and unwanted physical contact.”
I am so glad to read this. My kid has been bullied for years in different schools and tt seems moving is the only option as pruncipals and staff do nothing but instead propitiating confrontation. I am inrerested to see how this story develops.
Would like more information because my daughter attends the same school and has also had same issues including drugs being done during school hours and on campus. I feel proper measures weren’t done by Tina Mercer on ensuring my daughter and classmates would be in safe environment.
I also have an incident with both principals. My family was verbally attacked by one of their volunteers. The second time he did it I recorded it and showed it to her. I was ignored and treated horrible by the school staff telling me to move on from being threatened by a male in front of my child for parking a certain way he didn’t like. If you know the parents or you are the parents of the girl involved. Please reach out I support you 100% that she is not suitable to be there. And that the school only protects their staff. And NOT THE CHILDREN
this school has so much drama and so much fights.
I, myself, am having my ongoing issues with Tina Mercer and am looking to possibly move my son out of Roosevelt. Administration has done nothing to help me, even when bringing things to their attention. In fact, I was met with a “it’s not our problem” attitude or condescending responses.
this food is posin DO NOT BRING YOUR KIDS TO THIS SCHOOL