FULTON, MO. -- Update: Wednesday, June 15 at 4:30 p.m.:
A mother has sued the Fulton Public School District and several employees after members of the high school wrestling team allegedly bullied her son and daughter.
Twila Barnes filed a federal lawsuit last week that also alleges that coaches and school officials did not respond to her complaints.
Barnes said her daughter was the only female on the Fulton High School Wrestling Team this past school year. Barnes said her daughter’s teammates harassed her because she’s a girl and because her former boyfriend is black. Barnes said Fulton High School wrestlers also harassed her son by calling him a homosexual.
Fulton School Superintendent Jacque Cowherd said he does not tolerate bullying. Fulton public school district officials said they have not been communicated with regarding this court complaint, nor has the district been served any papers. They said all communication and information from this point forward will be handled through district legal counsel.
Barnes’ lawsuit remains filed in the U.S. Western District Court of Missouri.
One of the defendants in this case is former Fulton High School Assistant Principal Michael Hight.
Hight recently apologized to a student after calling her an offensive name while leaving a voice message on her grandmother’s phone.
Hight will be the principal of California High School this fall.
Original Story:
A Fulton mom is suing the Fulton School District along with several employees and two parents for what she said was a bullying problem.
Twila Barnes filed a federal lawsuit last Thursday that alleges her son and daughter we both bullied by members of the Fulton Wrestling Team.
Barnes named her daughter M.G. and her son T.G. in the lawsuit, and alleged that a student, only labeled as "J" harrassed her saying she enjoyed certain wrestling positions because they simulated anal sex and made racist remarks about MG's former boyfriend who is black.
Barnes said her daughter was subject to sexual harrassment as the only female on the wrestling team. She said her son was bullied because of a perceived sexual orientation.
The complaint said harrassment began for T.G. after being told to wrestle even after sustaining a foot injury. When they found a replacement for him on the team, they allowed him to rest the injury, but teammates began calling him a homosexual, according to the lawsuit.
Eventually, Barnes said, the harrassment began affecting school work and he withdrew from the school and is receiving home-schooling.
The plaintiffs state district authorities knew about the bullying but did nothing to stop it.
Named in the suit were the Fulton School District, former principal Teri Arms, former assistant principal Michael Hight, Activities Director David Milligan and wrestling coach Eric Hudson.
According to the Columbia Tribune, Barnes said her daughter reported incidents to Hight in a written statement, but that Hight did not report the complaint to the proper authorities.
The Fulton School District said they had not received any notification of the lawsuit filed.
The issued the following statement to the lawsuit:
"As of Wednesday, June 15, The Fulton School District has not been communicated with regarding this court complaint, nor has the District been served any papers. The District was made aware of the court complaint via media. At that time, the information was sent to district legal counsel. All communication and information from this point forward will be handled through district legal counsel."
Jacque Cowherd, district superintendent, told The Columbia Tribune that the district does not tolerate bullying and that they work quickly to investigate any claim of bullying.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKRCG