Lawsuit Says Palm Beach County Bus Driver Didn’t Stop Bullying

A student who tried to stop a classmate from being bullied and was then attacked himself is suing Palm Beach County schools because a bus driver did not follow the county’s anti-bullying policy, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Palm Beach County schools have one of the state’s highest rates of bullying, according to state data, with one bullying incident for every 95 students. It’s not the first time the school district has been sued over bullying.

The state rate is one incident for every 423 students.

The lawsuit alleges the bullying started on a bus and turned into a fight when the students got off the bus.

When the students got off the bus, then-11th grader Louis Toth tried to stop the bullies from fighting the other student. Then they turned on Toth.

From the Sun-Sentinel story:

The students got off the bus at the intersection of Belvedere Road and Flatrock Road, Toth’s designated stop, and the driver promptly drove off without attempting to intervene, according to the lawsuit.

When the fighting continued off the bus and with the other student still outnumbered, Toth attempted to break up the fight, the lawsuit says. Multiple students then attacked Toth, punching and kicking him in the face.

As a result, the lawsuit says, Toth sustained physical injuries, pain, suffering, mental anguish, and loss of the capacity for the enjoyment of life. He also incurred medical expenses for his injuries in 2009 and expects to incur medical expenses into the future for a permanent injury.

The lawsuit does not detail Toth’s injuries.