Circuit Judge David H. Miller Thursday approved the $25,000 settlement between the school district and Heather Hurshman, mother of a 16-year-old student, barring Hurshman from future legal action on the claims. Hurshman claimed under oath in court, teachers and administrators knew as many as 30 Orrick High School students bullied and sexually harassed her son since the 2008-2009 school year.
She also claimed district officials and OHS faculty did nothing to stop the harassment.
“The emotional damage that has been done to this child will probably be a lifetime thing,” Hurshman said in court.
In her testimony, Hurshman said Orrick Elementary School Principal Keri Cavanah had investigated and verified the abuse claims. Hurshman also said she personally addressed the problem to district superintendent Marcus Stucker, adding the Orrick school board refused to add Hurshman to its meeting agenda to publicly address the claims, which included her son being routinely called a “faggot.”
Hurshman said her son suffers from a bleeding disorder and spent eight days in a Liberty hospital after a classmate stabbed him in the elbow with a pencil, causing an infection. He then spent three weeks recovering from the three-hour ensuing surgery at home.
His mental state worsened with his recovery, she said. According to Hurshman, her son became depressed and suicidal. She attempted to home-school her son, but a learning disability continued to frustrate him. She permitted him to return to OHS, on adminstrators’ promises the bullying would end, but immediately pulled him out of school after she claims a classmate tried to run him down with a truck.
“I said, ‘That’s enough; this boy’s going to be killed,’” she said. “They have a ‘no bullying’ policy they can’t even follow.”
The pair moved to Lexington earlier in 2009 but had to return to Orrick when an accidental fire claimed their home in August. The boy has returned to OHS to repeat his freshman year for 2009-2010.
The district declined to make any statements in court contradicting Hurshman’s claims.
According to Hurshman’s attorney, Brett Williams, her son will receive a structured annuity set under the settlement’s terms. He will receive $4,000 at age 18; $5,000 at age 21; and around $6,600 at age 25. A $10,000 fee will be awarded to Williams and his firm, Peterson and Associates.
Stucker declined to comment on the settlement when contacted by The Daily News, citing restrictions from commenting on individual student issues.
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