Successfully Represented a Private School System in Wisconsin After Allegations That They Violated a Student’s Constitutional Rights
Overview
We represented a private school system in Wisconsin state and federal courts from suit by a family alleging that the school did not punish another student enough after allegations of bullying. In federal court, the family alleged that the school violated the student’s constitutional rights. We successfully defeated the claim at the motion to dismiss stage when the federal district court found that the allegations did not support a constitutional claim. This decision was affirmed by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, where we continued to represent the client. We also successfully defeated state tort claims brought by the family in Wisconsin state court (after the federal claims failed). The state trial court also granted our motion to dismiss, finding that the family had not alleged tort claims and that any claims of negligence were barred by public policy. The state appellate court affirmed the lower court’s dismissal.