ROCKAWAY TOWNSHIP

Parents of Mallory Grossman file lawsuit against Rockaway Township, BOE

Gene Myers
NorthJersey

ROSELAND —  Dianne and Seth Grossman, the parents of 12-year-old Mallory Grossman who died by suicide last June, have filed a lawsuit that names Rockaway Township, its school district and school administrators as defendants.  

“One year ago, on June 14, sixth-grader Mallory Grossman, who attended Copeland Middle School in Rockaway [died by suicide] and she did so after being relentlessly bullied by four of her classmates,” their attorney Bruce Nagel said.

Mallory Grossman, 12, of Rockaway, died by suicide in June 2017.

Nagel said school officials failed "horribly" in its obligation to keep Mallory safe.

The complaint reveals details of the bullying and how the school system failed the Grossmans, Nagel said. 

The lawsuit lists acts of bullying undertaken by a group of the four minors "acting together and individually" toward Mallory Grossman during the 2016-2017 school year.

In one instance, the suit alleges, one of the students texted a picture of Mallory Grossman walking alone, captioned with the phrase "You have no friends."

In another incident, the suit alleges, the same child who sent the text message asked Mallory Grossman, "When are you going to kill yourself?"

The question, according to the suit was asked in front of a group of students. 

The suit further describes Mallory Grossman sitting alone during school lunches. Eventually, the suit alleges, she became so "ostracized" that she took to eating lunch in the Copeland Middle School guidance office. 

Nagel's Roseland-based law firm, Nagel Rice, announced the Grossmans’ intent to sue last August, claiming that school officials failed to stop the ongoing abuse that led to Mallory's death. 

The Grossman family files lawsuit after their daughter Mallory commited suicide. Shown during a press conference at Nagel Rice Law Offices in Roseland, NJ in Tuesday June 19, 2018. (From left) Diane H. Sammons, Diane Grossman and Bruce H. Nagel.

Dianne Grossman said bullying sent her daughter on a downward spiral that lasted for months. Grossman watched her daughter’s grades plummet while repeated pleas to school officials for help went ignored. 

The document describes "systematic abuse" during specific classes, like choir, which, according to the suit, Mallory Grossman "loved," but stopped taking in an effort to avoid the abuse.    

"She talked about how horrible it was to be at school,” Dianne Grossman said.

Grossman said she repeatedly showed school officials "horrible" social media posts and texts classmates sent to her daughter by her and that she followed up with them regularly to no avail. 

“I wanted them to take swift and effective action,” Dianne Grossman said.

FIGHTING BULLYING:In the year since Mallory Grossman died, her mother has raised an army to fight bullying

BULLYING SPIKE:Bullying in Rockaway Township spiked as parents sought help before daughter's suicide

BOE RESPONDS:Rockaway Township district denies ignoring bullying linked to girl's suicide

The family sought help from guidance counselors, teachers, the vice principal and principal of Copeland Middle School, Nagel said at the time, but all of it “fell on deaf ears.” 

The district denied that it ignored the bullying. 

Mallory Grossman's mother, Dianne, hugs her daughter Carlee during Thursday night's candlelight vigil at White Meadow Lake Country Club in Rockaway Township. Mallory's father, Seth, is at right.

"The allegation that the Rockaway Township School District ignored the Grossman family and failed to address bullying in general, is categorically false," it said through a statement on its website that was also sent to NorthJersey.com and The Record.

School district officials did not return further requests for comment. 

Grossman said the family spent the anniversary of Mallory's death privately while township residents gathered and lit candles at Parks Lake.

“The anniversary was last week and now we are filing,” Nagel said.

Email: myers@northjersey.com