A Portland high school staff member is accused of failing to intervene in an altercation involving two female students attacking another female student, according to a lawsuit.
The victim’s mother, Rahel Fessehazion, 50, filed the suit against the Portland Public Schools (PPS) district in a Multnomah County Circuit Court on Friday “for the alleged physical and emotional injuries inflicted on her daughter, as well as for the school employee’s alleged negligence,” Oregonian reported. Fessehazion is seeking $1.18 million.
Video footage of the incident, which took place at Grant High School in January of this year, was provided to the Oregon-based outlet from Fessehazion’s lawyers.
The lawsuit does not name the two attackers or the staff member and only refers to the victim as L.S.
According to the lawsuit and footage, L.S. was charging her phone in the school’s lower commons area when two female students approached and started harassing her. The two students subsequently entered the booth the victim was in and allegedly began to attack the victim.
L.S. then covers her face with her hoodie while on her knees as the two attackers repeatedly punch and strike the victim in the head and upper body. Some bystanders are seen watching the assault, with one student appearing to record it.
As the assault occurs, a high school staff member, who is sitting at a nearby table, stands up and walks away. The lawsuit alleges he never intervened, called for help, or attempted to assist the victim.
Although the video footage blurs the faces of all students, the suit notes two individuals who attacked the victim are black females and the staff member who did not intervene is a white male — he is the only individual whose face is not blurred out. The suit also notes that the victim is a black student.
According to the suit, two cameras captured the altercation, but the school district failed to preserve the original footage from one of the two camera angles. The only footage that remains from the lost angle is a poor-quality recording on the vice principal’s cell phone.
Fessehazion’s daughter sought medical assistance after the attack, receiving a contusion to her head, swollen nasal bridge, muscle strains to her head and neck, and shoulder pain that has not entirely healed. L.S. is a varsity athlete but experienced difficulties playing her sport due to her nagging shoulder injury.
The suit also claims L.S. suffered emotional injuries from the original assault and PPS allowed the two attackers back onto school grounds after being suspended for a short period of time.
L.S. filed for a temporary stalking protective order against both students, which went into effect in February. PPS eventually moved the two attackers to a different school. However, the victim still moved to another school for her senior year because she had lost trust in Grant High School.
The two attackers had allegedly been bullying L.S. since her freshman year.
The plaintiff is asking for $780,000 because of the staff member’s alleged negligence and $440,000 for intentionally inflicting emotional distress on her daughter due to the school allowing both attackers to return to school.
Portland Public Schools axed having police officers within their schools in 2020, following the death of George Floyd, due to claims of officers targeting minority students, the Oregonian reported. However, Grant and other schools still employ security officers.
You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.