Family of bullied Morris County girl to sue school district over suicide

<p>The family of a 12-year-old Rockaway girl who died from suicide has sued the school district that she attended.</p>

News 12 Staff

Aug 1, 2017, 12:33 PM

Updated 2,471 days ago

Share:

The family of a 12-year-old Morris County girl who killed herself says it will sue her school district for not stepping in to address the problem of cyberbullying.
An attorney for the family of Mallory Grossman said Tuesday that he's filing a notice of intent to sue the Rockaway Township School District for negligence.
Mallory took her own life in June after what her family says was months of bullying by several of her classmates at Copeland Middle School.
"I think that she kind of represented what they couldn't be...and so therefore she kind of had a target on her back,” says Dianne Grossman, Mallory’s mother. “It was really about the humiliation and the intimidation.”
Attorney Bruce Nagel says Mallory's parents pleaded with school officials but "nothing was done."
The family says that their complaints were repeatedly dismissed and that Mallory received the cold shoulder and glares at school for months. They also say that the bullying followed her home, with vicious messages left on her phone. 
“For months she was told she’s a loser. She had no friends and finally she was even told, why don't you kill yourself,” Nagel says.
Mallory began to suffer from chronic headaches, started to slip academically, and was ultimately driven to suicide on June 14, according to her family.
“This small device (cellphone) is a lethal weapon in the hands of the wrong child,” Nagel says.
The Grossmans allege the district failed to protect Mallory emotionally and never filed harassment intimidation and bullying reports mandated by the state of New Jersey, which has some of the toughest bullying laws in the country. 
They say that they hope this lawsuit sets a precedence on cyber-bullying.
"We want to open Pandora’s Box. We want to push against the board as necessary. We want to end this forever,” Nagel says.
An attorney for the school district says that the district hasn't seen the notice yet but anticipates making a statement once it is reviewed.
The Grossmans and their attorney are considering legal action against the parents of the accused cyber-bullies. The family also announced a nonprofit to combat cyber-bullying called Mallory's Army.
New Jersey residents who are in distress are urged to call the New Jersey Suicide Prevention Hopeline at 1-855-654-6735.
The Associated Press wire services contributed to this report.


More from News 12
2:08
STORM WATCH: Isolated storms expected in New Jersey late Tuesday into Wednesday morning

STORM WATCH: Isolated storms expected in New Jersey late Tuesday into Wednesday morning

2:03
Deadline to get a Real ID is in one year. Here's what you need to know

Deadline to get a Real ID is in one year. Here's what you need to know

0:28
TSA officers arrest Florida man for having loaded gun packed in carry-on bag at Newark airport

TSA officers arrest Florida man for having loaded gun packed in carry-on bag at Newark airport

0:35
Police: Elmwood Park man drove drunk, struck 8 vehicles; 3 injured

Police: Elmwood Park man drove drunk, struck 8 vehicles; 3 injured

0:25
Paterson man faces slew of charges in connection to armed kidnappings

Paterson man faces slew of charges in connection to armed kidnappings

2:03
Best of New Jersey: A taste of everything the Dunellen Hotel has to offer

Best of New Jersey: A taste of everything the Dunellen Hotel has to offer

0:29
Walmart reaches settlement in class action lawsuit

Walmart reaches settlement in class action lawsuit

0:33
Atlantic City man sentenced for drug induced deaths of tourists

Atlantic City man sentenced for drug induced deaths of tourists

0:26
Man killed in two-car Egg Harbor Township crash

Man killed in two-car Egg Harbor Township crash

0:48
Congressional action may help New Jersey seniors targeted by scams

Congressional action may help New Jersey seniors targeted by scams

0:37
Police: Man arrested after locking woman in crawl space in Atlantic City

Police: Man arrested after locking woman in crawl space in Atlantic City

2:09
Middletown moves forward with cheaper parking to offset NJ Transit fare increase

Middletown moves forward with cheaper parking to offset NJ Transit fare increase

0:48
Authorities: Construction worker who suffered fatal fall worked for K&D Contractors

Authorities: Construction worker who suffered fatal fall worked for K&D Contractors

0:21
Rutgers president to testify before Congress on antisemitism on college campuses

Rutgers president to testify before Congress on antisemitism on college campuses

2:06
First weekend of Newark’s youth curfew debuts to great success

First weekend of Newark’s youth curfew debuts to great success

1:41
Death of New Jersey state trooper during training incident prompts investigation

Death of New Jersey state trooper during training incident prompts investigation

0:50
Jersey Proud: Somerset charter school competes in World Robotics Championship in Texas

Jersey Proud: Somerset charter school competes in World Robotics Championship in Texas

0:16
Police: Hoboken man facing weapons charges in road rage incident

Police: Hoboken man facing weapons charges in road rage incident

2:42
Jersey Shore surfer whose 20-foot wipeout went viral helps rescue struggling swimmer

Jersey Shore surfer whose 20-foot wipeout went viral helps rescue struggling swimmer

2:11
Seniors learn about potential scams as Rep. Gottheimer introduces legislation to protect them

Seniors learn about potential scams as Rep. Gottheimer introduces legislation to protect them