SPOKANE, Wash. — The family of a transgender student has filed a lawsuit against Spokane Public Schools over allegations of bullying and a lack of appropriate response from the principal at Salk Middle School.
The lawsuit, filed Oct. 10 by a transgender boy and his parents, claims that the boy was bullied over his gender identity in 2021 when he was a 7th grader at Salk.
The plaintiffs said the boy was called transphobic slurs that school year. On Oct. 21, 2021, the plaintiffs claim the boy was physically assaulted by a group of students in the school’s bus area. Students recorded video of the incident and posted it to social media, but the school never alerted police, the lawsuit alleges.
When the boy’s mother later reported the assault to Spokane police, one of the students was charged with assault, per the lawsuit.
The lawsuit also said the boy attempted to commit suicide in 2021 and has required counseling and therapy in the wake of the alleged bullying.
A spokesperson for Spokane Public Schools declined to comment, citing the district’s policy on not speaking publicly about ongoing litigation.
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