Parents claim NJ teacher’s ‘extreme’ punishment goes too far in lawsuit

🔴 Teacher gave second-grader "extreme" punishment, lawsuit says

🔴 School is also accused of failing to stop bullies

🔴 The boy broke his nose running from a bully

BELLEVILLE — A seven-year-old New Jersey boy was afraid to return to school after a punishment left him outside cold and alone, according to a lawsuit. 

The incident in the winter of 2023 was just one example of the institutional abuse faced by the second-grader at Belleville School #4, according to the lawsuit filed in Superior Court in Essex County on Aug. 2.

His parents claim the school district protected abusive teachers and failed to stop bullying that left the boy in the hospital with a broken nose.

The district cannot comment on pending litigation, said Business Administrator Matthew Paladino.

"Extreme" punishment for NJ second-grader

According to the lawsuit, the boy was disciplined on Feb. 6, 2023 after he was accused of mocking a teacher. The lawsuit said he was only repeating what the teacher had said.

His punishment was to eat lunch outside in the school parking lot while the other students ate inside shielded from the winter cold, the lawsuit first reported by NJ.com said.

The high temperature for the day was 56 degrees, according to data from the weather station nearby in Newark. It reached that temperature at 12:18 p.m., which would be around lunchtime.

However, New Jersey 101.5 Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow said it was a cold front day and temps dropped later in the afternoon. Wind gusts reached 33 mph and the high temperature the next day was 42 degrees.

The boy was afraid to return to school after being left outside for lunch, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit said the boy had also been subject to other extreme punishments including suspensions and that school staff had labeled him a "problematic child."

School failed to stop bullies, lawsuit says

The lawsuit said that the boy was also repeatedly bullied in school and ridiculed for his Hispanic heritage. More than seven in 10 students at Belleville School #4 are Hispanic, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

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In one incident, a bully chased him and pulled down the boy's pants; he fell and broke his nose, the lawsuit said. The boy was treated at a Belleville hospital.

After repeated bullying, the seven-year-old boy's grades plummeted, the lawsuit said. He was never protected from the bullies, the lawsuit said.

According to the lawsuit, the boy needs professional psychological help to deal with the trauma from the bullying and harsh punishment. The lawsuit demands a jury trial.

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