St. Joseph district ignored torment of girl who was told to hang herself, lawsuit says

The mother of a St. Joseph public school student is suing the school district, saying her daughter has post-traumatic stress disorder from being tormented by other students at her school.

Frances Keitz claims the district allowed bullies to assault her daughter, including death threats and vicious physical and verbal abuse.

The lawsuit alleges students at Skaith Elementary School threatened her with bringing a BB gun to school, pulled her hair around her throat to choke her, told her to hang herself with her hair, threatened to kill her in her sleep, kicked her in the head and poked her with pencils.

The alleged abuse occurred over several months during the 2015-16 school year, according to the lawsuit filed Sept. 1 in Buchanan County Circuit Court. It began in a physical education class at the hands of a group of boys, the lawsuit says.

Keitz repeatedly called on district administrators to protect her daughter from the alleged tormenting, but they did nothing, the lawsuit alleges.

Robert Newhart, district superintendent, said in a statement: “The concerns that are raised in this lawsuit were investigated and addressed, but we are unable to discuss specific disciplinary action taken against any student.

“Additionally, with respect to the claims in the lawsuit, we can’t respond without potentially violating the privacy rights of the student involved in this suit or other students. But, if we could provide additional information, you would know that this lawsuit does not provide a full or accurate account of what has transpired between Frances Keitz and the district. ... The allegations of a lawsuit are not proof that anything improper actually occurred.”

The suit names four district administrators and alleges personnel “engaged in a pattern of blaming and ignoring victims of bullying.”

The four administrators named are Jennifer Patterson, principal at Skaith Elementary; Superintendent Newhart; Solon Haynes, director of student services for the district; and Marlena Walley, the district’s coordinator of federal programs.

“Defendants did not employ effective remedial measures against the harassing behavior and the bullying continued for several months,” the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit says the girl was diagnosed with PTSD, depression and anxiety in January 2016 and had to be hospitalized about three months later. She is now 13 years old.

“Plaintiff’s diagnosis disabled her and made it difficult for her to focus and learn,” the lawsuit says.

It adds that the alleged treatment violated the Missouri Human Rights Act and Missouri common law.

The district has not filed a response to the lawsuit, court records indicate.

“The district doesn’t speak to pending litigation,” Newhart said in an initial statement. “We are concerned about the education of each and every child. And it’s no different in this case.”

In a separate federal case, the district says an administrative hearing officer had reviewed a complaint by Keitz and concluded in the district’s favor.

Keitz told KCTV last year that her daughter was targeted for telling teachers that a boy planned to bring a BB gun to school. She said the rest of the class turned on her daughter.

Keitz began attending school with her daughter but was told by the district that her presence was a distraction. She was then banned from the school grounds.

Attempts to remove her daughter were met with barriers put up by the district, “making it difficult for Plaintiff to receive homebound schooling for which she was already approved,” the lawsuit says.

The school district began an anti-bullying program about 10 years ago.

Keitz filed the lawsuit on her daughter’s behalf. She’s represented by Kansas City-based sexual assault attorney Rebecca Randles.

The lawsuit seeks damages and punitive damages.

This story was originally published October 3, 2017 at 9:45 AM with the headline "St. Joseph district ignored torment of girl who was told to hang herself, lawsuit says."