FLAGLER BEACH, Fla. – The parents of two Flagler County preschool students are suing the School Board and staff, claiming that their children were bullied and one 4-year-old boy was sexually assaulted by two other preschoolers.
The lawsuit claims that the abuse happened more than a year ago in a pre-kindergarten classroom at Old Kings Elementary, in view of other children and a teacher. The suit says the family had to move as a result of it.
The lawsuit said the children involved had bullied the victims before and the school district did not do enough to protect the students.
The suit says the boy suffered repeated severe bullying and that the two boys who taunted him pulled down his pants and committed sexual battery on him during class in view of the teacher.
The suit says the assault caused shame, humiliation and loss of dignity, and the boy suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and loss of capacity of the enjoyment of his life and will have medical and psychological care expenses.
The suit says the school allowed the two students who committed the assault to return to school three months later and says it failed to adequately discipline the minors involved. The suit also says the sister of the victim, who attended the same school, was bullied by the same two boys.
The school board responded to questions about the lawsuit with a statement:
This is pending litigation, so we are very limited as to what we can say. However, students' safety on our campuses is of utmost importance to us with Flagler schools. We remind people these allegations represent just one side of a legal argument."
The school board has until the end of the month to respond to the lawsuit
News4Jax learned that the matter was also investigated by the Florida Department of Children and Families. The agency's report says all children were offered services and the case was closed.