A Puyallup student was assaulted in bathroom stall. Did district disregard warnings?

A student who was attacked in a videotaped assault at Glacier View Junior High School has sued the Puyallup School District, saying the district failed to protect her from a history of racial targeting and bullying.

The lawsuit, which also names the student’s parents as plaintiffs, contends the district’s alleged negligence unlawfully endangered the student, court records show. The suit was filed in Pierce County Superior Court on Tuesday.

Attorney Thad Martin, who is representing the plaintiffs, told The News Tribune that the student, who is of southeast Asian descent, had often been harassed, teased and accused of misappropriating a culture because she liked to braid her hair.

“It all came to a head with the assault,” he said in a brief interview.

A 50-second clip viewed by The News Tribune, reportedly from February 2023, showed the student inside a bathroom stall. As someone filmed, a student hanging over a stall border threw roughly six punches down toward the plaintiff’s head. There appeared to be a handful of girls in the bathroom spectating. As the first punch was thrown, someone can be heard yelling, “Get her!”

Martin said that while his client didn’t sustain any “longstanding” injuries, she was hurt and traumatized. The lawsuit alleges that the district didn’t request medical attention or inform the student’s parents about the incident. It also claims the student’s parents previously alerted the district that their daughter was being subjected to racial comments and threats.

“We deny these allegations of negligence and will thoroughly defend these allegations through the process,” Puyallup School District spokesperson Sarah Gillispie said in a statement. “We have no further comment on this pending litigation.”

On the district’s website, it’s noted that the district “is committed to a safe and civil educational environment for all students, employees, parents/legal guardians, volunteers, and community members that is free from harassment, intimidation, or bullying.”

The video from the attack was shown to other students, and the plaintiff continued to be discriminated against, harassed and teased by those involved, according to the lawsuit.

“I think the takeaway is the district needs to do a better job of protecting students,” Martin said.

The suit seeks unspecified damages to be proven at trial and legal fees.