Eighth lawsuit filed against Babcock Neighborhood School claiming racial discrimination
The parents of at least eight students have sued a Charlotte County charter school claiming their race made them targets.
The eighth lawsuit filed against Babcock Neighborhood School on Tuesday follows one filed Nov. 3, three filed Nov. 1 and three filed Oct. 30. Fort Myers-based attorney Joseph North, along with father Joe North, represent the victims claiming Babcock Neighborhood School allowed racial discrimination.
Six of the lawsuits only list the charter school and its parent company, KE Babcock Holdings, as the defendants, while two of them also list the parents of those students believed involved in the discrimination.
Four students are from Lee County, while the counterparts hail from Charlotte County.
The latest lawsuit lists five counts — negligent supervision of students against the school; negligent security against the school; negligent retention and supervision of the school's principal, Amanda Sanford, against the school; negligent retention and supervision of School Resource Office Ozzie Mesa against the school; and a claim against Babcock Holdings, the parent company, for agency and vicarious liability.
From the lawsuit, it is not clear who the principal holders of Babcock Holdings are.
The different lawsuits indicate the students sustained mental, emotional and physical damage. They also claim students have been subject to racial slurs, racial discrimination, bullying, assaults and battery by other students on school grounds.
Among the allegations, the suit says the resource officer followed the students around campus.
Federal complaint halted: Lee NAACP halts civil rights complaint against Babcock Neighborhood School
The suits claim Babcock Neighborhood School, in Babcock Ranch, failed to investigate when other students used racial slurs against the students and did not discipline the offending students.
The minors claim other students wrote discriminatory words on white boards, made motions of a person cracking a whip and used numerous racial slurs.
The students seek more than $50,000 in damages.
Lawyers and members of local NAACP chapters have previously called for the firing of the teachers, administrators and coaches they say are responsible for the students named in the complaints.
Three lawsuits filed Nov. 1, one Nov. 3
The Norths filed three lawsuits Nov. 1 on behalf of the Victor family and a Nov. 3 complaint against the Piontek family.
All four list four common counts — negligent supervision of the students against the school; negligent security against the school; a claim against the school for the negligent supervision and retention of Sanford; a claim against the school's parent company for agency and vicarious liability.
Additionally, the suit filed Nov. 3 lists a count against Janda Concepcion, identified as a parent of a perpetrator, claiming vicarious liability for her student's conduct; and a claim against Christopher Gareau, who the lawsuit identifies as another parent of a perpetrator, claiming vicarious liability for his student's conduct.
Three lawsuits filed Oct. 30
Three amended complaints filed Oct. 30 list two common counts — negligent supervision of the students against the school; and vicarious liability against the parent company.
Additionally, the remaining two claim negligent security against the school; and negligent supervision and retention of Sanford against the school.
One of them further lists a count of negligent retention and supervision of Paulette Butterfield, the girls' volleyball head coach, against the school; a claim of vicarious liability against parent Robert Ferry; a claim of vicarious liability against parent Kendra Ferry; a claim of vicarious liability against parent Cody Smith; a claim of vicarious liability against parent Amy Smith; a claim of vicarious liability against parent Steven Sigman; and a claim of vicarious liability against parent Amanda Hollida.
Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran, Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews and Twitter @TomasFRoBeltran.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Eighth suit claiming racism filed against Babcock Neighborhood School
