Mother Sues Clark County School District, Alleging Failure to Protect Son from Severe Bullying

Amber Salazar filed a lawsuit Tuesday, claiming the Clark County School District (CCSD) failed to protect her son, 16-year-old Anthony Salazar, resulting in a brutal attack that left him with a traumatic brain injury.

According to the lawsuit, on October 2, 2023, a fellow student assaulted Anthony after he exited the school bus, leading to a serious medical emergency the following day when he became unresponsive and had to be rushed to the hospital. He has since been diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury. Amber Salazar’s attorney, Marjorie Hauf, stated, “You should never send your kid to school and have them come back severely injured.”

The lawsuit alleges that this attack was not an isolated incident. It details a pattern of harassment by the same student, including attempts to provoke fights with Anthony at the bus stop and following him home. Despite these ongoing threats, Anthony continued to attend school, but the bullying escalated to physical violence on the day he resumed taking the bus. In a previous instance, his father intervened to stop an altercation, as noted in the complaint.

The Salazars had reported instances of bullying multiple times over the years, starting from Anthony’s time at Mannion Middle School, where he was assaulted in a school bathroom in February 2022. The harassment reportedly continued through his transition to Foothill High School, where he has faced bullying both in person and online. A safety plan allowed Anthony to seek refuge in the school office when he felt unsafe, but the lawsuit argues that CCSD failed to adequately enforce these measures.

The suit accuses the district of having “actual and constructive knowledge” of the ongoing bullying and claims that the district did not take effective action against the aggressor students. It further asserts that CCSD was aware of the history of violence by the perpetrators even before 2022.

This lawsuit comes on the heels of a similar case from August, where another parent alleged that her child was assaulted on a school bus, causing physical and emotional injuries. CCSD has faced significant financial strain from litigation, with Interim Superintendent Brenda Larsen-Mitchell citing it as a primary reason for the district’s budget deficit. During an October 10 School Board meeting, she revealed that the district had exceeded its $30 million budget for litigation by $23 million.

Attorney Hauf criticized the district’s handling of such incidents, suggesting that CCSD tends to dismiss or deny claims instead of conducting thorough investigations. “If things were appropriately investigated at the school level, things could get better,” she stated, emphasizing the need for more proactive safety measures within the schools. Despite the trauma he has endured, Anthony Salazar continues his education at Foothill High, determined to overcome the challenges posed by his aggressors and the system.

Source: Review Journal