Parent sues JCPS administrators, claims they did nothing about bullying

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - A lawsuit has been filed by the parent of a special needs student against two administrators and two students of the Jefferson County middle school that her son attends alleging the school failed to protect him.

The student, identified in the lawsuit as "C.L.", is a seventh grader at Ramsey Middle School, 6409 Gellhaus Lane. The lawsuit, which was filed April 1, claims C.L. was bullied and beaten despite pleas from Tracy Davenport, the mother of C.L., for the school to protect her child.

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Named as defendants in the lawsuit are Jennifer Colley, the principal of Ramsey Middle, Maureen Biggs, the school's assistant principal, and two students who are identified only as "T.R." and "J.S."

The suit claims the two students were placed into a classroom with the special needs students and the placement was done with the knowledge of Colley and Biggs.

On March 13, the suit alleges that while in the school cafeteria without supervision J.S. threatened to shoot C.L. It also says a second threat was made after the students returned to the classroom with J.S. threatening to stab C.L.

The suit says C.L reported the threats to the substitute teacher and that a knife was found during a search of J.S. and his possessions.

Claims in the suit also say T.R. "choked out" C.L in the same classroom. The suit says no disciplinary action was taken against T.R.

On March 23, the suit says T.R. once again assaulted C.L. with a blow to the head that was near the site of a traumatic brain injury suffered by C.L. The suit says the blow could have caused severe injury or death to C.L.

Colley and Biggs are accused of negligence and the two students are accused of battery. The suit is asking for compensatory damages in excess of the jurisdictional limits of the court, joint and several judgments against all four defendants, a trial by jury, legal fees for C.L. and that the two students be ordered to remain at least 500 feet away from C.L.

In a statement, Ted Gordon, attorney for the alleged victim, said, "JCPS continues to ignore this kind of horrendous behavior against their students. JCPS has an escalating epidemic on their hands, and they cannot contain these violent acts."

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