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The Rockaway School District has agreed to settle a case involving the cyberbullying suicide of a middle schooler at Copeland School in 2017. Mallory Grossman was a sixth grader when she was bullied by other students in her grade and committed suicide after repeated efforts to stop the bullying by her parents were ignored by the school. The school agreed on Tuesday to settle the long-standing litigation for $9.1 million which is the largest settlement of a bullying case in New Jersey history. Bruce Nagel of Nagel Rice in Roseland who represented the family commented, “This settlement is one more step in dealing with this avoidable tragedy and I hope that it sends a clear message to all schools around the country that our children must be protected from the horrors of school bullying.” This case ignited a national debate on bullying and resulted in the passage of Mallory’s Law in New Jersey in 2022 “which provided much needed protection for our children.”
Mallory’s parents started Mallory’s Army a nonprofit devoted to educating parents and school administrators about the dangers and prevention of bullying. They also produced the documentary Mallory which had been viewed by tens of thousands of people and has received critical acclaim in dealing with the subject of bullying.
For additional coverage click on the links below:
https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/31/us/new-jersey-school-bullying-suicide-settlement/index.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/07/28/mallory-grossman-bullying-lawsuit-settlement/