Lenox Facing Lawsuit Over Bullying Claims
LENOX, Mass. — The town is being sued by a parent over bullying allegations at Lenox Memorial Middle and High School.
A lawsuit filed Feb. 2 in U.S. District Court outlines why Matthew Lenehan claims he had to withdraw his daughter from the school because of ongoing bullying by another student, as well as the school nurse and a soccer coach.
Leneham demands a trial by jury on three counts of negligence, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and violation of the 14th Amendment (equal protection), in addition to one count against then Principal Jeremiah Ames, also for violation of the 14th Amendment.
Ames was recently promoted to assistant superintendent of finance and operations.
The 60-page document asserts that the district failed to retrain staff on the proper procedures and policies to address bullying following a 2022 investigation by the district's own law firm, Murphy, Hesse, Tommey, and Lehane LLP, that showed instances of mishandling of bullying reports.
The investigation, prompted by a parent's complaint, reviewed five formal bullying complaints, four informal complaints, and seven staff-to-student bullying complaints.
The findings revealed multiple failures, including inadequate investigations, insufficient documentation of findings and outcomes, failure to notify involved parties, and mishandling of the complaint process, and no clear formal mechanism to report staff-to-student bullying concerns.
The district now has a document outlining the steps in reporting and investigating bullying in its schools.
Jeremiah Ames was hired as interim principal in January 2023 and was officially hired in April that same year, as was Superintendent William Collins. The lawsuit indicates both were aware of the audit's findings.
The suit states that the Collins and Ames administration's primary goal was to combat bullying "by providing clear expectations and consistent responses to inappropriate and harmful behaviors."
Despite these claims, the cycle of bullying continued, the lawsuit states, and the soccer coach was not given proper training on the district's bullying policies.
The lawsuit claims the coach and another student with a history of "abusive behavior" targeted Lenehan's daughter with around three months of public chastising, name-calling from peers, and rumor spreading, among other complaints, said to cause the student emotional distress.
There was also an alleged threat on Snapchat by the other student to bring a gun to school to shoot his daughter, according to the lawsuit.
A student was removed from Lenox High in September 2024 for a Snapchat threat, which was categorized as "something stupid they thought was funny."
After repeated attempts to resolve the situation and claims of being dismissed by the administration, Lenehan said he enrolled his daughter in a district in the eastern part of the state, requiring him to rent two houses so she could attend a new district and placing additional strain on the family, as the mother had to remain in the Berkshires.
Lenehan is being represented by attorney Laura Mangini of Alekman DiTusa LLC. The school district has not yet responded to the complaint.
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