New Jersey School Faces Lawsuit After Years of Alleged Bullying Neglect
A New Jersey family sued the district for failing to stop middle school weight and mental health bullying for their daughter. A late November legal action charges rampant carelessness at Ho-Ho-Kus Public Schools.
The complaint alleges the girl was called “The Titanic” for two years in school. Her friends teased her appearance, anxiety, and OCD at lunch and recess. Due to her mental illness, her classmates taunted her for picking her eyebrows and twirling her hair.
Her mother informed school officials on January 3, 2023, that she was “becoming physically ill” from stress. The school ignored many complaints, including a second email in October 2024 from children criticizing her special-education accommodations. Peers called her “a whale” and “bowling ball,” took her pictures without permission, and kept her from recess and lunch.
After the bullying escalated in late 2024, the child wrote home saying she was afraid and wanted to leave school. After months of abuse and isolation, from being ignored at lunch tables to hiding in the restroom to escape being called “break the seesaw”, her family took her from school on March 16, 2025. The lawsuit alleged the district violated the New Jersey Civil Rights Act by breaching its own standards and state law, causing “severe physical, mental and emotional harm.”
The Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act requires public schools to prohibit harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB), hire anti-bullying specialists, and quickly investigate and respond to reports.
The school must review a report within one school day, generally 10.
The lawsuit claims the district disregarded the student’s mother’s warning. Despite harassment evidence, the child left school uncomfortable.
This episode highlights the necessity for strict anti-bullying policies and school systems to safeguard vulnerable children, especially those with disabilities or mental health issues. Failure of child-protection institutions might be devastating.
Sources:
Documents and public information about New Jersey’s Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act and state bullying policy requirements.
