MARION COUNTY — A school board meeting in Perry Township is happening Monday night where we expect to hear from more parents concerned about bullying.
Last week, two lawsuits were filed against the district, claiming two students were seriously hurt in bullying incidents.
Attorneys say a junior at Perry Meridian High — a special education student — needs plastic surgery after he was attacked and sent to the ER with a concussion and other injuries.
They also say a sixth grader with special needs at Rosa Park Elementary was bullied and now suffers from seizures due to a head injury received at school.
"Several parents have reached out to us, several witnesses have reached out to us, and it seems that other families in the district have experienced the exact same thing," said Attorney Tammy Meyer.
A spokesperson for the district said officials won't comment on pending litigation, but the district says it has stringent anti-bullying policies, and reported incidents are thoroughly investigated.
"When we look back at the history of Perry Township, we also see that these problems aren't new. They've been going on for many years, and the district continues each year to say the same things without making the really necessary changes that would stop these things from occurring, or at least really decrease the numbers," said Attorney Catherine Michael.
The lawsuits are not on the agenda for the public portion of Monday's school board meeting, but families will have a chance to share public comments.
The bottom line: parents and attorneys want to see action taken.
"We need to see change within this district. It should not have taken this long to hold a special meeting of the school board and try to do something about this problem. And unfortunately, it seems to take civil lawsuits for the district to take this seriously," said Meyer.
