Audrie Pott Family Files Bullying Claim Against School District

The family of Audrie Pott, the 15-year-old who committed suicide after being gang raped and cyberbullied, has filed a claim against the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District over its response to the events surrounding the teenager’s death.

Robert Allard, an attorney for the Pott family, said school administrators “were negligent in addressing the bullying Audrie Pott encountered.” By filing the claim Tuesday, the family has the option of taking further legal action against the district.

Allard also said school officials concluded “despite compelling evidence to the contrary” that the bullying played no role in Pott’s September 2012 death.

The school district has yet to comment on the claim.

The claim against the school district came one day after the family announced that they were planning to file a civil lawsuit against the three suspects in the case. All three 16-year-olds — whom Allard said were friends with Pott — are currently being held at the Santa Clara County Detention Center. The boys issued a statement through their lawyers saying that much of the information regarding the case is inaccurate.

Allard is pushing for all three suspects to be tried as adults.

“This is not your typical juvenile crime,” Allard said. “We’re talking about an orchestrated crime. Right up next to murder would be an assault like this. An adult-like crime with an adult-like mentality.” Allard added that he wanted homicide added to the charges against the boys for spreading photos of Pott’s rape, leading to her suicide.

However, reports that photos of Audrie Pott being raped were circulated around the school and online were refuted by students at Saratoga High. Friends of Pott said they never saw any picture of her, and that the teenager didn’t learn what happened to her after seeing a photo of it online.

Do you think the Pott family should take further legal against the school district?