by Montclair, NJ – A New Jersey school district is facing a lawsuit accusing it of ignoring a child’s bullying case and attempting to silence the victim’s family, according to court documents filed last week. The case has raised concerns about how schools handle harassment, intimidation, and bullying incidents, particularly when race and sexual orientation are involved.
Student Faces Persistent Bullying
The plaintiff, a now 13-year-old student who remains unnamed in the lawsuit, reportedly endured relentless racial and homophobic bullying during his single year at Northeast Elementary School in Montclair Public Schools. The family claims that despite reporting multiple incidents, the district failed to provide adequate protection or intervention.
Attorney Lawrence Kleiner, representing the family, described the boy’s experience: “They made his life a living hell in that school. The board did nothing except turn around and blame him.”
According to the complaint, the harassment began in the 2022–23 school year, with classmates taunting the student by calling him their “wife.” The attacks escalated to homophobic slurs, physical assaults including kicks to the genitals, and racially charged mockery, such as an “Asian rap” video targeting his ethnicity. Kleiner noted that the student does not identify as queer, but the bullying persisted nonetheless.
Alleged District Mismanagement
The family alleges that when they submitted Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (HIB) reports, the district was slow to respond and ultimately concluded there was no evidence supporting their claims.
In an unusual twist, the family faced a counterclaim from the family of a student involved in the bullying incidents. The district upheld this counterclaim twice, despite recommendations from the then-superintendent and testimony from a psychiatrist confirming the victim’s trauma and stress. Kleiner called this move an intimidation tactic aimed at silencing the family.
Previous Complaints Highlight Broader Issues
The lawsuit follows a separate complaint by former anti-bullying coordinator Maggie Shaver-Dock, who alleged that the district falsified and suppressed bullying reports to reduce the number filed with the New Jersey Department of Education. Shaver-Dock claimed she was ordered to alter assessments during the 2022–23 school year, and when she refused, then-Superintendent Jonathan Ponds, who passed away last year, made the changes himself.
Negotiations for a potential settlement between Shaver-Dock and the district occurred on November 3, 2025, just one day before the family of the bullying victim filed their lawsuit in Superior Court.
Community Reaction
The case has drawn attention to systemic failures in handling bullying and harassment in schools, particularly for students targeted based on race, ethnicity, or perceived sexual orientation. Advocates are calling for stronger accountability measures and transparency in school reporting processes to ensure student safety.
Have you or your children experienced bullying at school? What steps should districts take to protect students and support families? Comment below and share your thoughts on holding schools accountable.
