PITTSBURGH — A Greater Latrobe School District high school wrestling team member with a disability claims he suffered bullying and retaliation after making statements to law enforcement about a team hazing incident.
J.B., a minor by and through his parent and natural guardian, Ms. J.B., filed a complaint May 24 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania against the Greater Latrobe School District alleging violation of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
According to the plaintiffs' complaint, J.B., was an eighth grader who attended high school in the Greater Latrobe School District in 2019 and 2020, and was "identified" as a student with a speech or language impairment.
They allege that while J.B. was a member of the wrestling team during the school year, that minor children were left unsupervised and that hazing and "other inappropriate behavior" took place between coaches and students.
The plaintiffs claim that in January of 2020, some of the wrestling coaches and students faced criminal charges for hazing, and as a result of J.B. providing statements against the players and coaches involved, he faced bullying, death threats and other retaliation from team members. The plaintiffs allege that J.B.'s mother was not consulted before allowing him to give a statement to police and that the defendant failed to ensure his safety or provide supervision for its students.
The plaintiffs seek monetary relief, trial by jury and all other just relief. They are represented by Kristen Weidus of Ruder Law in Pittsburgh.
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania case number 2:21-CV-00690