By Connie Leonard
WAVE 3 Investigator
LOUISVILLE (WAVE) - It's a continuing problem causing children physical and emotional scars - and in some cases, death. Despite the good intentions of the new anti-bullying bill, many parents don't believe all school officials will take it seriously. That's why three families who say their children were harassed and beaten by bullies are have filed lawsuits against school staff members they claim knew about the abuse and did nothing to stop it. WAVE 3's Connie Leonard investigates.
The parents are from Oldham, Meade and Floyd counties. All claim when school officials were approached about the abuse they tried to sweep it under the rug. So now they're saying enough is enough and taking action in court. Their hope is that the lawsuit will spare other children from the trauma their children have suffered.
It's more than name calling - in fact, the three families who filed suit say the harassment has gotten to the point where kids like 13-year-old Stephen Patton are ready to take their own life. "We were praying so hard," said Sheila Patton as she recalled holding her son in her arms after he suffered a gunshot wound to the head.
At first, Stephen's mom and dad thought he fell and hit his head, but soon found out he shot himself. And they said had no idea why until several kids approached them at the funeral.
Stephen's classmates at Allen Central Middle School told the Pattons they went to the principal twice after seeing how other kids constantly pushed and berated their son, a lanky country kid. They told them Stephen never ate lunch to avoid the bullies who made fun of his stutter and cowboy boots.
"One of the teachers told us that Stephen asked to go to the bathroom every day at lunchtime," Shelia said.
She says they later found a grocery bag full of snacks in his locker.
In another case, 10-year-old Jacob Overmyer says he was held down and punched repeatedly by a group of kids in the bathroom at Flaherty Elementary School in Meade County.
Jacob told WAVE 3 he was punched in the face, and that the beating continued until an older student walked in.
"A middle school student, that was waiting for the bus to come was going to use the bathroom and he came in and kind of stopped it and told the vice principal," said Jacob's father, Mike Overmyer.
Overmyer soon found out it wasn't an isolated incident. He says school officials promised to expel the ringleader because he had already been in trouble for something else, but it never happened.
"He responded and said at least it only happened a few times, not a lot of times."
Overmyer says he replied: "one time someone puts their hand on my child was too much."
Fourteen-year-old Hunter Badon, a freshman at South Oldham High school, was pulled from the school by his parents after they say he was brutally beaten by two senior wrestlers.
His mother, Debbie Badon, described the alleged beating. "He was choked until he was blacking out, his nose was broken he was hit in the head repeatedly."
Hunter's dad, a volunteer for the team, says an assistant coach approached him after walking in on one of the attacks. That's when he and his wife requested a meeting with Coach Steve Fiser.
Doug said the coach seemed to make excuses for his wrestlers. "He said wrestlers are kind of psychotic, anyway and that's just the way they are and the program brings this out in them. I'm sitting there thinking: 'you're nuts!'"
Since lawsuits tell only one side of the story, we called South Oldham High to try and speak with the principal and the coach, but school district officials told us they haven't had time to review the lawsuit so they couldn't comment.
The lawsuits filed on behalf of the families by attorney Vanessa Cantley seek damages that the families hope to use to fund bullying education programs.
Online Reporter: Connie Leonard
Online Producer: Michael Dever
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