Earlier last week, Long Island teen Marquese Dukes was attacked and beaten to the ground at school. His attackers kicked him in the face so hard that Marquese suffered from a concussion.
Marquese is a straight-A student at The Upper Room Christian School. He loves to play the piano and, at just 14 years old, he is a licensed Baptist minister. Unfortunately, his school has become an unpleasant and dangerous place for him, as he has experienced extreme bullying for the past two years.
Who’s to blame for the ongoing bullying? Answer: the school’s administration. According to Marquese’s mother, Hope Dukes, she has emailed the school at least once a week since October 2018 about her son being bullied while on campus grounds. However, the school did nothing to intervene and allowed the bullying to continue.
Even after Marquese’s bullies beat him up, the school took little action to ensure his health and safety. Faculty did not make sure that Marquese received medical attention—instead, they simply sent him home with no treatment. It was not until later—when his mother found him collapsed on the floor—that he was taken to the hospital, where medical professionals told him he had suffered a concussion from the attack.
Pastor Ed Dono—the head of the school—stated that the school is looking into the incident with “great diligence” and that Marquese’s bullying is “a major concern” to them. Although the school claims they have a zero-tolerance policy for bullying, The Upper Room Christian school still failed to reprimand Marquese’s attackers, and this statement is not enough to put Hope’s mind at ease. She is confident that her son will not be returning to the Upper Room Christian School.
At Goldstein and Bashner, our skilled attorneys have experience in taking legal action against schools that have failed to protect their students from bullying. If your child has been physically or emotionally bullied at school and the administration has failed to remedy the situation, please contact us today for a consultation. We could work tirelessly on your behalf to help protect your child’s right to a safe learning environment.
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