Family of bullied 12-year-old who died by suicide will get $9.1m settlement from school district

Bevan Hurley
·2 min read
2
Mallory Grossman died by suicide at the age of 12 after she was bullied by classmates (Dianne Grossman / Facebook)
Mallory Grossman died by suicide at the age of 12 after she was bullied by classmates (Dianne Grossman / Facebook)

The parents of a 12-year-old New Jersey schoolgirl who died by suicide after their complaints about cyber-bullying were allegedly ignored have received a $9.1m settlement from her school district.

Mallory Grossman, a sixth-grade student at Copeland Middle School in Rockaway Township died on 14 June 2017 after suffering months of cruel taunts from classmates.

Her death received nationwide attention and led to the passing of Mallory’s Law requiring school districts to report and act on bullying complaints by the New Jersey state legislature in 2022.

Mallory’s parents Dianne and Seth Grossman filed a wrongful-death lawsuit in June 2018 against the Rockaway Township school district, the board, the principal and municipality.

After the agreement was reached, Ms Grossman told NewJersey.com: “Seth and I are satisfied with the settlement, ready to put this part behind us and move forward, continuing to lend our voice to the epidemic that is stealing our children’s future.”

In a statement to the news site, Grossman family attorney Bruce Nagel said: “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.”

Mr Nagel said the $9.1m settlement was the largest payout for a bullying lawsuit in US history.

Rockaway Township School District did not immediately respond to a request for comment by The Independent.

Mallory Grossman’s parents Dianne and Seth established Mallory’s Army Foundation to promote anti-bullying efforts after her death (Mallory’s Army Foundation)
Mallory Grossman’s parents Dianne and Seth established Mallory’s Army Foundation to promote anti-bullying efforts after her death (Mallory’s Army Foundation)

The district said in 2017 it was “committed to protecting” students and denied allegations that it hadn’t done enough to stop the harassment.

Mallory had been the target of a relentless cyber-bullying campaign throughout the 2017 school year, according to the wrongful death lawsuit.

The young cheerleader endured taunts in hallways and classrooms, in text messages, and on Instagram and Snapchat telling her she was a loser and had no friends.

One message asked: “Why don’t you kill yourself?”

Her grades suffered, and she begged to stay home from school, the Washington Post reported.

After months of trying to get help from the school, Dianne and Seth Grossman held a crisis meeting with administrators at Copeland Middle School in June 2017, the lawsuit alleged.

The school officials told them that Mallory should go home as she was not safe at the school.

She died at the family home hours later.

The Grossman’s established the Mallory’s Army Foundation to honour her memory and promote empathy and kindness.

They also lobbied New Jersey state politicians to pass Mallory’s Law, which is one of the toughest pieces of anti-bullying legislation in the country.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.

If you are based in the UK, the Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.