The city of Richmond denies any negligence, knowledge of or responsibility for the alleged bullying of a David W. Dennis Middle School student last school year.
Lawyers representing the student and parents filed a lawsuit June 23 in Wayne County Superior Court 1 claiming the student was seriously injured and sexually assaulted during four separate bullying incidents in the 2024-25 school year. Dennis Middle School, Richmond Community Schools and the city, which now provides RCS with school resource officers through Richmond Police Department, were named defendants. The filing was first reported in the July 2 WWN.
The lawsuit accuses all defendants of negligence, causing past and future medical expenses and the parents’ loss of “services and society” of their child because of injuries sustained.
Pamela G. Schneeman of Clark, Johnson & Knight of Carmel filed the city’s response to the complaint Aug. 12. She had previously filed the city’s demand for a jury trial.
The point-by-point response to complaints in the lawsuit claims the city knew nothing about any of four alleged incidents the lawsuit presents and the incidents were never reported to the city. It also denies the city was contacted by the student’s parents; that the city had any responsibility for the supervision, care or safety of the student; or that the city had a duty to assist the impacted student or punish other students involved.
The response points out that the city does not oversee or control the school corporation or the middle school and that actions and inactions about which the family complains were not those of city employees.
The city requests the court judge in the city’s favor and award the city attorneys fees and costs claiming the city has no liability for school personnel.
In the lawsuit, the family says the student sustained back injuries when pushed into a restroom wall, then was pushed into a school bus window, punched in the head and had hair pulled four days later. Injuries required the student wear a neck brace during recovery, and the student visited a spine specialist.
During the same time, the student twice was approached from behind and grabbed in a sexual manner when getting on the school bus, according to the lawsuit.
Western Wayne News is not currently naming the plaintiffs because the allegations include harassment and sexual assault.
A version of this article appeared in the August 27 2025 print edition of the Western Wayne News.