Phoebe Prince School Bullying Lawsuit: Massachusetts Case Settled For $225,000

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. -- A lawsuit brought by the parents of Phoebe Prince, a 15-year-old Irish immigrant in Massachusetts who committed suicide after relentless bullying, was settled for $225,000, according to documents made public Tuesday.

The settlement with the town of South Hadley and its school department was reached more than a year ago, but the details were kept under wraps until a journalist won a court order for the release of the information.

The documents show that Prince's parents settled claims against the town and its school department for $225,000. In return, the parents promised to release the plaintiffs from any further claims.

The documents were released by the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, which represented Slate reporter Emily Bazelon in her bid to for the disclosure of the settlement.

"This is a victory for the public's right to know and for transparency in government," said Bill Newman, an attorney with the ACLU's legal office in western Massachusetts.

Prince hanged herself in January 2010 after classmates taunted her after she dated a popular boy. She had recently moved from Ireland to South Hadley, a rural town about 100 miles west of Boston.

Five students later accepted plea deals in criminal cases connected with bullying that preceded her death. None involved prison time.

Prince's death drew international attention and was among several high-profile teen suicides that prompted new laws aimed at cracking down on bullying in schools. All school districts in Massachusetts are now required to develop bullying prevention plans.

After unsuccessful attempts to gain access to details of the settlement, which was reached with the town and its insurer in November 2010, Bazelon sought a court order to release the information under the state's public records law.

In an order dated Dec. 23, Superior Court Judge Mary Lou-Rup ruled in favor of Bazelon, saying the town had not shown what harm would be caused by disclosure of the settlement. The judge noted that the Prince family had not registered an objection to releasing the details.

Edward Ryan, lawyer for the town, did not immediately return an after-hours call Tuesday seeking comment.

Ryan had argued in court that the settlement was not a public document and that all parties involved had agreed to keep it confidential.

Comments

[cndvd]

03:25 PM on 02/27/2012

She was taking Seroquel and Prozac....either one = suicidal. Why are so many teens taking psychotropic drugs being so young ? Your brain in NEW....it's not malfunctioning. These drugs will MAKE your brain malfunction. The "science" is very flawed.

[Douglas Davis]

10:23 PM on 09/22/2012

Source? I dont see that listed in the article anywhere.

[cndvd]

02:50 AM on 09/23/2012

This must be an older article...I wrote that a while back...don't remember the article it was so far back.  ??

[KDog76A]

08:04 PM on 02/06/2012

Suicide is a sad thing and I feel sorry for the family.

That said, to ease their pain taxpayers foot the tab to keep the school district from going bankrupt. \

Bullying isn't fair, but its life, in fact its part of our evolution... you cannot socialize out instincts... there is a certain amount of responsibility these parents cant live with, so they have to spread the blame. The fact is this girl got so depressed and her parents didn't see the warning signs to prevent this, their lack of involvement in their daughter's life surely has something to do with the outcome.

[meganmarieborn]

11:28 PM on 01/05/2012

Her bullies will be forever reminded of their actions and will be forever connected to this. That is hardly enough punishment for the damages they caused. Teenagers who bully are not always aware of their auctions. The age for bullying is getting younger and younger, which is very dangerous. Young children do not understand the aftermath of their auctions and they bully for many different reasons; peer pressure, jealousy, they grew up in that kind of environment, etc. Children can be very cruel, because they feel they have nothing to lose; they feel invincible. Obama needs to make laws against bullying; maybe making it mandatory for teachers and children to take an anti-bullying course that explains how to spot bullying, how to spot it, and the very real damages it can cause. Children see bullying on a daily basis; on t.v., in magazines, etc. We need more anti-bullying campaigns and we need more role models to stand up against bullying. Kids are dying left and right and not much has been done to stop it.

[KDog76A]

08:09 PM on 02/06/2012

Newflash:

Bullying is no different than any other human instinct. Its based in the fight to survive.

Yes, aspects of bullying can be socialized out through good parenting etc. But at the end of the day, everybody at every age faces bullying of one sort or the other on a near daily basis.

Its not all rainbows and roses... thats why people say things like "welcome to the real world."

People get bullied out of jobs, out of their seats on buses... people get stepped on at every turn.

Adults are dying left and right as well because bullying is part of human nature. How you take it, or how you are taught to take it is another thing.

[meganmarieborn]

09:03 PM on 02/06/2012

But, bullying is encouraged through some t.v. shows. Lying is also human nature, but parents tell us not to lie. My point was parents and schools aren't doing enough to offset the desire to bully.

[Godweiser]

09:22 PM on 01/03/2012

Those kids got off pretty lightly, but I suppose the satisfaction of having their names eternally enshrined on the internet will do. Their parents probably can't hold up their heads in public either, since, quite frankly, the road apples don't fall far from the horse's hindquarters.

[larry cifuentes]

11:16 PM on 01/01/2012

Every little thing in life and even life’s ultimate purpose depends on each man’s standpoint with the divine reality.

To have heart sensed the palpable reality of the source of life and thus realize the purpose of one's own Earthly life to be transcendent, it means living attains divine love purpose. This is "the event" which makes all former and later worldly disappointments to seem ephemeral trivialities.

Simply, realization of one’s own divine potential becomes self awakening nonnegotiable gut based reality on being at any now. Then, any hellish life turbulence won’t shake the divine purpose here on Earth, but only reinforce.

[bc0100]

09:12 PM on 12/30/2011

Michelle Ball, Student Rights Attorney (edlaw4students dot com), wrote:

FYI- never ever presume the schools ARE doing their jobs adequately. You must stay involved. Parents ALWAYS need to know what is going on to ensure the schools are doing what they are supposed to do. Kids usually will not report issues to school staff on their own and feel they have no power. If school officials don't notice something is going on, parents must step in. I have heard too many horror stories to believe otherwise.

Schools are under an obligation to take action when they know bullying or targeting is occurring. They may also punish the students involved (see California Education Code sections 48900(r) and 48900.4). However, I get calls weekly from parents whose kids are being targeted while the school ignores a known situation. Often the parents have verbally told the school, but the school has done nothing.

Here are my best suggestions of what to do to get action from the school and stop the bullying: read the rest on her blog page at- http://edlaw4students.blogspot.com/2011/02/twelve-things-you-can-do-to-stop.html

[charles000]

09:33 PM on 12/29/2011

Horrible as this situation is, this is what I have noticed over the past several years.

There are a lot of biological parents out there, who themselves are completely incapable of raising anyone, including themselves. The results of this are excruciatingly obvious, but too "politically incorrect" to really be approached.

What we have now are myriad kids who have grown up in essentially dysfunctional or non-existent family situations, and the obvious outcome, in many cases, are these "Lord of the Flies" like scenarios, in which absurdly vicious and cruel behavior is "normal", even expected.

Meanwhile, at the same time, we have the anti-abortion / anti planned parenthood fanatics who are mindlessly committed to their 12th century religious dogma indoctrination.

So I have to ask the question . . . if we are to realistically deal with the horrific consequences of out of control bullying, of which this girl is only one of many such tragic victims of, shouldn't we be realistically dealing with parenting, here, now in the 21st century???

Just asking the question . . .

[rewith85man]

08:47 PM on 12/29/2011

At least, she does not have to suffer anymore. She is in a much better place.

[acumenguy]

09:26 PM on 01/01/2012

"She is in a much better place." has got to be the most idiotic thing that can be said about any deceased.

How is the place shes in now (a grave) be better than alive? She's better off dead than alive? Do you want to see more dead teens so they can go to a "better place?"
If that's the case, should we convince more kids/people to kill themselves so they can be in a "better place."
Who thought of this idiotic nonsence of "a betterplace?"

Are you serious?

[Luis Duran]

11:52 AM on 12/29/2011

I recall this (if not mistaken) news about a year ago about a teen that suicide cause of school bullying, might be this or other case...

Unfortunately Bullying comes in many ways, from School, jobs, streets and everywhere as well, thing is sadly not all the times the Student will tell parents or other adults about it, till is too late like in this case.

here myself used to back in Freshman year of Middle school be victim or Racial discrimination bullying at the locker room and halls, however back then I am not a guy who goes down cause of that, I fight with my mouth and fists if necessary (cause anyways if you told teachers they only gave speech and detention, nothing else, and that doesn't stop a band of 8+ bullies)

Too bad not everyone got strong spirit to fight back or seek help, and that might lead to this, to any parent and teacher please always check on your students and children, if their attitude changes abruptly is cause something is wrong in school or streets, you can never know how they are going to react to it, specially with so many kids nowdays suffer depression, that doesn't help at all.

[CDARRELLRYZ]

11:47 AM on 12/29/2011

So, let me get this straight. She's a pretty little girl, she dated a popular boy from school, and she's taunted by classmates?
Sounds like jealousy to me.

[rewith85man]

08:47 PM on 12/29/2011

Jealousy that went too far.

[meganmarieborn]

11:28 PM on 01/05/2012

Kids can be unbelievably cruel. Sickening. If she only knew how beautiful she was.

[willowroselj]

11:42 AM on 12/29/2011

These parents got NOTHING to replace their precious child. Money can't ever replace flesh and blood, but 225K$ is a disgrace. I hope the parents of the bullies are all proud of themselves.

[rewith85man]

08:49 PM on 12/29/2011

Yeah, those bullies may grow up as pathetic as their parents are.

[Cassandra L Chapa]

11:38 AM on 12/29/2011

It's been a year and they never donated any of that money to an anti-bullying campaign? The only reason I say this, is because, if this had been my daughter, money wouldn't have shut me up. My daughter would have died needlessly. Granted, there could have been other ways to prevent this tragedy, but it happened. To take $225,000.00 and never be heard from again just seems pointless. Are you happier now with that money? Will it bring your daughter back? Will it put the bullies through jail time? Did you get justice out of it? The town and school paid...not the bullies. I just don't see why they would settle at all...

[namyohorengekyo]

04:02 PM on 12/29/2011

Phoebe's mother, Anne O'Brien, appearing on the Piers Morgan Show, had stated that a scholarship fund has been created in Phoebe's memory at Van Sickle Middle School in Springfield, Mass. This was the school where Ms O'Brien was teaching at the time of Phoebe's death. In the interview, Ms O'Brien cited an incident when the Principal was pulled aside during a school meeting to be told of an imminent threat to a child (by another child) at the school; the Principal immediately excused himself to deal with the situation. Upon investigation, I have found that this is a public school in a very rough part of town. I find it commendable that the Prince family had chosen to reward the excellent behavior of deserving individuals (children who would likely receive no commendations, and would certainly not be offered a scholarship) rather than to contribute to an anti-bullying campaign (which in all probability would receive donations from many sources.)

South Hadley High School has had a culture of bullying for years. Prior to Phoebe's death, the school system had been mandated (by court) to present an anti-bullying program. While the lower schools had implemented the recommendations by the specialist, South Hadley High School did not. So, in the eyes of the Prince family, anti-bullying campaigns were probably seen as ineffective.

[namyohorengekyo]

04:03 PM on 12/29/2011

I think what you are displaying is a classic case of "hot/cold situation", where from an outside perspective we believe that we will act in a certain way, and when confronted with the real situation, we act differently. To wit, the bystander phenomenon.

By the terms of the settlement as mandated by the town, the Prince family could not reveal their settlement, and the Prince family has been true. But, please give the Prince family the benefit of the doubt; not everyone desires to create a public presence. American culture thrives on the new, the volatile, and so continues to subject victims to more pain even as they attempt to heal their broken hearts.

[puffmanny]

11:23 AM on 12/29/2011

Im gonna be so sad when its 2025 and im reading articals on bullying and suicide. It needs to stop but will never stop.

[rewith85man]

08:50 PM on 12/29/2011

For better or worse.

[MarchNow]

11:23 AM on 12/29/2011

Our society should not tolerate bullying of children and young adults. It should not be inevitable. This is an attitude...a behaviour that can be changed just like any other non adult behaviour.
It is our responsibility as adults to teach our children kindness.

[HopeWFaith]

11:19 AM on 12/29/2011

The adults surrounding these bullies (in the homes and in the school) should all have to undergo extensive psychiatric treatment and educational classes to turn around their own attitudes. They set the example to these bullying kids, and thus should be held fully accountable for it. If you do nothing, you are a huge part of the problem. I've seen it happen, and I do believe adults are causing these attitudes to be perpetuated in the kids.

[MarkAntney]

12:51 PM on 12/29/2011

Ditto!!! I agree 101%

But to be honest such people are (probably) beyond repair. They seem to hate themselves and hate people that Don't Hate themselves or just like them even more.

I admit you can't help how you feel but then they take it that additional step(s) to torment, ridicule, beat,... others?

I don't see how you help a grown-up or an adolescent NOT want to do that anymore, they're too far down the road.

[meganmarieborn]

11:29 PM on 01/05/2012

I agree 100% I was bullied in high school and I constantly complained to the principal and teachers and was always brushed off. It makes me sick that children are dying left and right, for no good reason. Teachers and peers are letting this happen.