Horry Schools failed to protect Green Sea student from known bullying, suit alleges
Horry County Schools failed to prevent a Green Sea Floyds High School student from being assaulted and tormented despite knowing the student had been a longtime target of bullying, a recent lawsuit alleges.
The student, who is not named, suffers from an undisclosed disability, which the school district knows, according to the lawsuit, which was filed by the student’s mother.
Another Green Sea student assaulted the plaintiff’s child Oct. 28, 2021 in the locker room during gym class, the suit states. That encounter was filmed by other students, and both students were suspended for a week.
The student’s mother spoke to Green Sea employees and administrators before her child returned, expressing concerns the bullying would continue, and she received assurances that appropriate measures had been taken to prevent further harm.
But on Nov. 4, 2021 — the student’s first day back — the child was again assaulted in gym class, punched on or near his head “at least twenty times,” according to the complaint.
That encounter was also filmed, with students turning footage of the attack into “memes” that circulated throughout the high school, causing further harm.
“As a result of (these) actions, (the student) has withdrawn from Green Sea permanently, suffered a broken front tooth, and has become severely depressed,” the complaint states.
The family is seeking unspecified monetary damages due to the district’s alleged gross negligence.
HCS does not comment on pending litigation, according to district spokeswoman Lisa Bourcier.
