Texas parent files suit over bullying of daughter
TOMBALL, Texas -- The mother of a Texas high school student has filed a lawsuit, claiming the school district has not done enough to stop students from bullying her daughter.
Her attorneys told Eyewitness News the student, who is on the autism spectrum, has vision loss in one eye.
"She walks through campus knowing people are making fun of her," said Michael West, who spoke to ABC11's sister-station KTRK alongside fellow attorney Mike Moriarty on behalf of their client, a junior at the school.
"I know she's experienced a lot of harassment in the hallways," said Moriarty.
According to West, the harassment began months ago.
"They started taking pictures. They posted comments back and forth, whether it's about her hair, about her glasses, about the way she danced," he said.
The two filed a lawsuit, and in it, they claim that girls at the school "formed a group called 'The Panda Squad.'"
The lawsuit goes on to state in part, "The Panda Squad took pictures and video ... and posted them on social media, along with demeaning and derogatory captions. These pictures and videos were 'shared' over 60,000 times, worldwide, within the first 24 hours of posting."
The attorneys did not want to release the hurtful photos, feeling it would further hurt their client. They also claim the district has been too slow to respond to the situation.
"The school's not taking care of its students," said West.
When asked for comment, Tomball ISD responded with a statement from its spokeswoman, Dr. Staci Stanfield: "Tomball ISD is unable to address the pending litigation at this time."
Two school employees, along with a group of parents and students, are also named in the lawsuit, but none have responded to requests for comment.
