Should Parents Sue School Over Bullying That Led To Suicide? Your Thoughts

ROCKAWAY, NJ — Following 12-year-old Mallory Grossman's death by suicide in mid-June, her parents have announced a plan to sue the Rockaway Township School District, alleging the school knew about bullying and failed to stop it.

Social media played a large role in the bullying, the family's attorney Bruce Nagel said at a press conference on Tuesday, with much of it happening over Snapchat, Instagram and text messaging. The Grossmans said that some of the alleged bullying used photos of Mallory taken without her permission while on school property.

• Read More: Mallory Grossman's Family Sues Rockaway Schools Over Bullying That Led To Suicide

Some of the bullying also took place in school, including dirty looks, harassment, name-calling and exclusion, Dianne Grossman said on Tuesday. Grossman said she met with school officials up until the morning of Mallory's death to discuss bullying concerns.

Patch readers across the country were quick to weigh on the young girl's tragic death and her parents' planned lawsuit. Hundreds of comments came in on the topic. Some readers said the parents made the right choice in suing the school and others suggested the Grossmans should focus only on the alleged bullies and their parents.

Nagel, the lawyer, said the family is considering naming "three or four" girls and their parents as defendants for their alleged bullying of Mallory. Here are some reader thoughts on the lawsuit.

• "This doesn't have anything to do with the school - the school did not hand that girl a phone and Instagram account ..."
• "A school can put any policy it wants on the books but unless parents are held accountable-anyone knows to kill poison ivy, you need to eradicate the roots."
• "The mother complained and the school was dismissive of the mother's complaints. They also did not file a report with the state as required by law . Why should the school be let off ? The mother is also going to sue the parents of the bullies as well. Both are at fault."

Some Patch readers wondered why Mallory's cell phone wasn't taken away to prevent the online bullying. Other commenters disagreed with that logic, saying too much of young people's social and academic lives happen through the internet for that to be a plausible solution.

• "What about the mom and dad who did not take the phone away from their daughter when they knew it was being used to bully her? Getting her a new number, restricting what programs she (12-year-old) could have on it and make sure that anyone who she gives the number or her ID's to is approved by them."
• "If you have kids this age, then you know they have social networks thru school to check homework assignments and social events and team sport schedules so changing a number is not easy as it means you are then left out of those vital contacts."

In general, most commenters could agree: bullying, especially online, is a big problem among school aged children. Some shared stories of bullying they've experienced, and others opined that bullying has only become worse with the rise of smart devices.

• "Similar stories are found from coast to coast. Schools are a breeding ground for bullies. I'm thankful I took my child out of middle school and homeschooled."
• "My daughter and I talk constantly about it. She started getting bullied and I worked with our school system. If your school won't do anything go higher until something gets done."
• "My daughter has been bullied for sometime from elementary and then in high school. The school system did nothing. The HIB [Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying] did nothing they say they handle it but didn't."
• "Yes bullying has always been around and none of us have escaped it in one form or another. Yet in this day and age with social media and phones it never stops. The kids don't go home in the evening and get a break from it, there's no break from it on the weekends, it's relentless."

Many commenters focused on the fact that at the center of this story is a family that lost their daughter.

"The whole situation is very sad. It's really easy to make comments about this girl and her family behind a keyboard. There are a lot of lessons to be learned here. My thoughts are with the family," one commenter wrote.

Follow Patch's reporting on this story:

• Mallory Grossman's Family Sues Rockaway Schools Over Bullying That Led To Suicide
• 'Mallory's Army' Fights Back Against Bullying After 12-Year-Old's Sudden Death
• Mother Of Rockaway 12-Year-Old Who Died Complained To School About Bullying
• Rockaway 6th Grader Who Passed Away Remembered As Charitable And Outdoorsy
• Community Donates $64K To Family Of Rockaway Middle Schooler Who Died Last Week
• Fundraiser Launched For Rockaway 6th Grader Who Passed Away Wednesday
• Rockaway Middle Schooler Passes Away

Watch: Girl’s Family To Sue School District For Suicide

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, or text the Crisis Text Line at 741-741.

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