Marion, N.Y. – A mother has sued the Marion Central School District, claiming school officials did not do enough to stop the bullying of her son.
Traci Lanzone filed the lawsuit in federal court last week. She claims her son, who is not identified in court papers, has been relentlessly bullied over the last two school years. The harassment ramped up when he told classmates he is gay.
“Everything from being pushed, kicked, having food thrown at him, his clothes being hidden…it was just relentless,” Lanzone said.
Lanzone said she complained to Marion officials at least 30 times about the bullying. Her son also complained, but Lanzone said the harassment continued. Court papers say classmates carved anti-gay slurs into desks and yelled obscenities.
The boy remains a student in the high school.
“No child should ever have to go through that. You shouldn’t have to go to school and worry about what the day is going to bring,” Lanzone said.
Attorney Christina Agola said there are federal laws to protect students from discrimination in school.
“If this draws attention to it, if it makes every district in this community aware that if a complaint is brought to them they have to do something, we have succeeded,” said Agola.
The lawsuit is seeking damages.
Superintendent Kathy Wegman said the district could not comment on the lawsuit. She said in an email, “The Marion Central School District takes bullying very seriously. The district has strict policies against bullying and established procedures for handling reported incidents. Student safety is a primary concern for the school district.”
