Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against Mercer County School District

A lawsuit filed against the Mercer County School District over the suicide death of a student has been dismissed. Judge Peter Church entered the three-page ruling today in Mercer County Circuit Court with prejudice. The four-count suit was filed by Bridget Carlson in March and alleged her daughter Valerie Carlson was harassed by students for her manner of dress, hairstyle and sexual orientation, which eventually led to her suicide in March of 2018. The lawsuit also alleged the district did not contact health care providers or the mother after receiving reports that the girl “had cut marks on her person.” Each count sought an amount exceeding $50,000 for “loss of society, grief, sorrow and emotional distress.”
But Judge Church indicated the district’s anti-bullying policy “clearly call for a wide latitude of discretionary decision-making that may include but are not limited to school social work services, restorative measures, social emotional skill building, counseling, school psychological services, and community based services.”