Parents of school-age children entrust supervisors, teachers and school bus drivers to live up to a certain standard of care for their children. In New Jersey, schools have a responsibility to adequately supervise children from the moment they are picked up on the school bus to when they are dropped off. Breaching this standard of care is a serious offense because it jeopardizes student safety and may result in a child injury.
Parents have filed a complaint against the Grover Cleveland Middle School for negligence. The complaint states that their then middle school child was inappropriately touched by another student on a school bus over a period of few months in 2010. The complaint was filed against the school and the bus driver. The complaint states that the alleged victim has experienced severe emotional distress from the abuse.
A school is entrusted with the responsibility of providing a network of support for students in a safe environment. Fostering learning means establishing firm control while students are at school. When abuse occurs, a family may have a claim against the person or entity that was negligent. There is a wide range of accountability when dealing with schools, so it is important to know what the proper steps are to receive compensation.
Abuse can take many different forms. For parents, it’s hard to grapple with the idea of a school or other entity being negligent in the care of children. Unfortunately, it can happen. Adults in schools are responsible for stopping inappropriate activity. They have a duty to parents, staff and the community to provide a safe environment of learning for students in New Jersey. Abuse can take a severe toll, both mentally and physically, on victims. Those who are responsible should be held accountable to prevent future abuse.
Source: The Progress News, “Wayne family files complaint against Caldwell school,” Feb. 20, 2014
