Farmingdale Bully Victim Feels Like Winner with Settlement

A Farmingdale student who was relentlessly bullied while at Wedon E. Howitt Middle School has settled with the school district. The boy, who is now a well-adjusted high school student, suffered three years of bullying. The case was helped by the family’s meticulous records of calls and communication with the school district and numerous serious injuries–both physical and psychological–that were documented with medical records. Some examples of the abuse:

• His face was smashed into the bleachers
• His arms were lacerated from repeated pencil stabbings
• He was spit on by the others
• He was called names verbally teased
• He was repeatedly punched–one time he was punched so hard in the abdomen that he had blood in his urine

In addition, the boy kept a journal he wrote for an English class in which he mentioned the bullying and how it made him feel. The teacher’s only comment was “I’m sorry you went through this.”

By collecting all the communications with the school over a three-year period, the medical records and journal entries, we made a strong case that the school’s staff and administrators did not do enough to protect our client and put a stop to the bullying. We were able to settle with the district for a confidential amount, but our client was very happy with the results.

This case illustrates how it is possible to get compensation for bullying from a school and we hope it inspires other families to know they have recourse.