Valley News Live - KVLY/KXJB - Fargo/Grand ForksBullying Suit Settled

Bullying Suit Settled

A lawsuit may shed light on the problem of bullying in Fargo schools. The school district has settled a lawsuit claiming it ignored one boy's abuse for nearly five years in several Fargo schools.

The boy is now 21, and the family says they're relieved by the settlement.

Pat Monson, the boy's attorney told us late Wednesday that the family is glad this is all over. Court documents paint the picture of a boy tormented because he had vision and speech impairments.

The suit claimed the boy was beaten, suffered bruised ribs, and was sent to a psychiatric hospital six times because he wanted to kill himself.

Court documents say the bullying started when the boy was in fourth grade, continued for years, until his parents transferred him to a private school.

Most of these incidents were reported to teachers and staff. Allegedly, nothing was ever investigated. At one point, the family was told it was just "kids being kids."

Fargo school superintendent Rick Buresh says he regrets what the boy went through, but he acknowledges the case as a good lesson for the district to change its anti-bullying policies.

"You can't read about a student who's experienced bullying without triggering your heart, knowing he's had that much pain. Yeah, I regret it. I feel bad when a student has that kind of an experience, and do anything to minimize that or totally eliminate it if all possible," Buresh says.

The case was settled out of court. Neither side will say for how much money. Rick Buresh says he's also visited the family in the last couple of weeks and they're both glad the case is over.