FOR RELEASE THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2015
TAMAKI LAW FILES SUIT – BULLY CAUGHT ON VIDEO ASSAULTING GIRL ON SCHOOL BUS; DRIVER DOESN’T HELP
Yakima County, WA–
The parents of a minor child have filed a civil lawsuit against the Yakima School District Number 7 for a physical assault committed by another student against their child while riding a school bus. The parents, identified only by their initials C.L. and R.G., and their minor child, identified only by the initials of C.L.G., are represented by Tamaki Law.
The lawsuit alleges that the Yakima School District Number 7 was negligent, failed to supervise, and failed to implement and enforce policies and procedures to protect the safety of its students on its school bus.
On November 2011, C.L.G. was a thirteen year-old eighth grade student at Franklin Middle School in November 2011 when she was brutally beaten by another student on the school bus owned and operated by the Yakima School District. According to court papers, C.L.G. was attempting to exit the school bus when she was attacked by another student who yelled at C.L.G, “Bitches don’t get off!” The assailant pushed C.L.G. onto the front row seat, repeatedly punching C.L.G. more than twenty times and shoving C.L.G.’s head against the bus window. The assailant continually yelled, “Bitch!” while punching C.L.G.
According to Tamaki Law attorney, Sergio Garcidueñas-Sease, the bus driver, who was less than five feet away, “just sat there and did nothing to protect C.L.G. while the assailant repeatedly punched her.” “Inexplicably, the bus driver did nothing to stop the brutal beating,” said Vito de la Cruz, another Tamaki Law attorney pursuing the case.
The failure of the bus driver to act and stop the assailant from beating C.L.G. was caught on the bus surveillance video. The assailant was later arrested by Yakima Police Department and charged with Assault in the Fourth Degree.
The lawsuit alleges that the assault took place while the bus driver, a school district employee, had the duty to oversee, supervise, and ensure the safety of students, including C.L.G. Lastly, the lawsuit alleges that although this assault occurred on the school bus, five feet away from the bus driver, and in clear view of everyone, the school district employee failed to take any action to prevent and stop it.
Vito de la Cruz and Sergio Garcidueñas-Sease, attorneys on the case for Tamaki Law, jointly stated that “Every child deserves a school environment where they feel safe and protected by those entrusted with their care. How can parents trust that their children will be safe at school if their children aren’t even safe on the school bus on the way to school?”