(The Center Square) – Nevada’s largest school district is facing a lawsuit over how it was allegedly negligent in an attack on a student in 2022.
In February 2022, a female student sustained serious injuries after a peer, who allegedly had made repeated threats, attacked her. The lawsuit, brought by the unnamed student’s mother, alleges the Clark County School District and Las Vegas High School officials were negligent in the attack and the victim’s 14th Amendment rights were violated.
“The policies, practice or custom of CCSD caused [the plaintiff] to be physically abused which violated her constitutional rights pursuant to the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution,” the lawsuit says. “CCSD’S inadequate training and supervisory policies, practice or custom were deliberately indifferent to the rights of [the plaintiff] and other students.”
Athar Haseebullah, executive director of American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, is an advisor to the lawsuit, according to a news release from the group.
According to ACLU Nevada, the attack was recorded on a cellphone and shared on social media. The plaintiff allegedly took more than 12 punches to the back of the head before anyone intervened.
“Our teenage client deserves justice for what she’s been through, which includes serious ongoing medical treatment since the incident occurred,” said Bertoldo Carter Smith & Cullen attorney James R. Sweetin, Esq. “There are many looming questions about CCSD’s actions here and we look forward to what will likely be extensive litigation to establish that CCSD could have prevented this incident from occurring.”
CCSD declined to comment, citing pending litigation.
Las Vegas attorney Robert Langford, who’s also representing the plaintiffs, said state law makes clear that students have rights, including the “right to a safe and respectful learning environment.” Langford added that the victim was doing her schoolwork at the time of the attack.
“We look forward to establishing that CCSD had every ability to preclude this attack from happening but failed to do so,” he said. “CCSD’s actions here have destroyed a young girl’s life.”
