Central ISLIP, New York More legal action was filed Thursday against Long Island school districts for turning a blind eye to bullying.
This comes after a special education student said she was sexually assaulted and the district did not report it to the police.
“She’s living in a world of fear and paranoia right now,” said Latasha Bennett.
Bennett says her daughter is not safe at school. CBS2 did not identify 16-year-old Central junior Islip, who said through tears that she was bullied years ago.
Bennett said, “She was beaten up in the gym. She was bullied by groups of girls who followed her home. They called her ugly.”
Read more: A Long Island father is suing the school district after his 14-year-old daughter was attacked
The situation was so bad, she was assigned an assistant in middle school, but in high school she was on her own. Her mother said in October that she had been sexually assaulted.
“He pulled her into a dark classroom and grabbed her by the wrist and wouldn’t let her go. I don’t know how she got away,” said Bennett.
Attorney Kenneth Mullins said, “No one answered her screams when it happened. When one of the officials came and said to her, ‘I don’t want you to tell your mother about this.'”
The accused was arrested, but he returned to school.
“My daughter will never be safe. That’s how I feel,” said Bennett.
It is the third case of student violence on Long Island to warrant legal action within two weeks.
“You can’t turn your back on these incidents. It will happen over and over again,” Mullins said.
That was the same message from parents at the Lindenhurst School Board meeting on Wednesday night, After a stabbing incident in middle school recently.
One parent said, “You let our children down. Fighting has become a daily occurrence inside and outside our schools.”
Read more: Parents vented their frustration at the first Lindenhurst School Board meeting since the student was stabbed
dad Files a lawsuit against the Three Village School District After saying his 13-year-old son was strangled last month in the gym, adding that the bully also went back to school.
“They said, basically, you’re probably either brain dead or deceased,” said Ralph DeLostro.
Parents say they understand that children have a right to an education and that bullies can’t always be fired, but the consequences are often inadequate, and the parents of the victims are often hidden.
“Even the teachers and security guards get into fights with the students,” said Neveh Bennett, the sister of Islip’s middle victim.
She says that occasional school gatherings are not enough to address bullying in real time.
A spokesperson for the Central Islip School District said, “The district is not offering comment on the incident at issue at this time.”
“The district does not comment on pending litigation,” said Tri-Village School Principal Dr. Kevin Scanlon.