School Bullying Attorney for Student Victims
School-aged children often face unwanted, aggressive behavior that is commonly known as bullying. This behavior includes threats, the spread of rumors, physical assault and battery, inappropriate contact, and verbal torment. There is often long-term psychological damage when such acts are repeated over a great period of time. Your child will need your support, and possibly the support of trained professionals, to recover from this traumatic experience.
If the staff, teachers and/or administrators were aware of the bullying, there may be legal action you can take to help support your child and others. Contact ACTS LAW today for a free consultation. Our attorneys can review whether your child has a viable claim as a result of injuries suffered from bullying in school. Call (833) ACTS-LAW for a free consultation.
Student Bullying Defined Under California Law
- Acts that can be construed by a court of law as school bullying include:
- Cyber Bullying and Teasing
- Verbal Teasing and Verbal Taunting
- Spitting, Hitting, and Kicking
- Shoving and Pushing
- Promotion of Social Exclusion and Spreading of Rumors
- Intimidation and Extortion
- Sexual Bullying
- Hazing
- Ethnic and Religious-Based Bullying
- Hate Motivated Bullying and Race-Based Bullying
Cyber Bullying and California Assembly Bill 86
The state legislature of California enacted the Anti Cyber Bullying Assembly Bill 86, which places cyberbullying alongside other forms of student harassment that take place in a school setting. This was done because of the seemingly drastic rise in cyberbullying on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, as well as on smartphones as a whole. If your daughter or son has experienced any of the acts mentioned above, contact ACTS LAW. Our experienced attorneys are dedicated to protecting the rights of students, as well as helping them overcome the physical and emotional trauma caused in school settings.
What Students Should Do If They Witness Bullying in School
It is difficult to stand up to a school bully, and those who stand up to bullying are often bullied or physically attacked as well. Aside from standing up to bullies, some other ways that students can stop bullying in their schools include:
- Alerting staff or teachers about what they saw
- Advising other students to take a stance against bullying
- Not joining in on acts of bullying
- Telling their parents about the bullying they see
Anti-Gay Bullying (Seth’s Laws) And Other California Anti-Bullying, Discrimination, and Intimidation Statutes
Bill AB 9 in the California State Legislature, otherwise referred to as Seth’s Law, is an anti-bullying law which helps protect California public school children from anti-gay bullying. The law has a specific focus on preventing and reducing the high prevalence of bullying against LGBTQIA+ students enrolled in California Public Schools.
AB 537: Seth’s Law strengthens the preexisting California Anti-Bullying Law Passed in 2000, which prohibits discrimination and harassment in schools based on specific categories that include:
- Race
- Nationality
- Gender
- Ethnicity
- Religion
- Sexual Orientation
- Disability
- Gender Identity or Expression
- Association with a Specific Group
Sports Injuries at Schools
Millions of sports-related injuries are suffered every year by students while participating in school activities. These injuries range from mild to severe, and can be very painful for the child as well as expensive for families to treat. The school districts can be legally responsible for the injuries that the student has experienced, based on negligence.
If Schools, teachers, coaches, or school districts are held responsible, they may be required to pay for damages. Damages in a personal injury lawsuit can include:
- Medical Bills,
- Pain & Suffering
- Loss of Income
A personal injury lawsuit against a school district can be complicated, due to special timelines and notice requirements for filing a lawsuit against a school.
What Kind of Sports Injuries Take Place at School?
The types of injuries that occur as a result of sports-related accidents vary, depending on the age of the participant, sport, and other factors. Some notable areas where these accidents take place are at schools, on school grounds, or through school-organized team sports. Common school sports injuries may include the following:
- Broken Bones
- Ankle Sprains
- Concussions
- Pulled or Sprained Muscles or Tendons
- Spinal Trauma
- Knee Injuries
- Stress Fractures
- Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Tears
- Heart-Related Sickness
- Injuries to Eyes
- Shoulder Damage
A school injury can occur on the way to or from a competition if a school-bus is involved in an accident as well.
