A lawsuit was filed against Los Angeles Unified on behalf of an autistic student who alleged he was bullied at a South Gate elementary school and that an effective safety plan requested by his mother was never properly put in place.
The boy is identified only as N.C. in the Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit that alleges negligence, negligent hiring, training and supervision, discrimination and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The suit filed Tuesday seeks unspecified damages.
A LAUSD representative said the district does not comment on pending or ongoing litigation.
N.C. was a student at Montara Avenue Elementary School during the 2023-25 school year. He is autistic and has an individualized education program that includes the support of a classroom aide. His parents enrolled him at Montara and expected that the school would provide appropriate support and a safe learning environment, the suit states.
But starting in February 2024, other students bullied N.C. and one punched him in the stomach while in class, the suit states.
The school staff was notified, but over time, more harassment occurred in classrooms and other supervised school settings, the suit states. In August 2024, N.C. suffered bruising on his abdomen after a student pushed him during physical education, the suit states.
The alleged attack heightened the family’s concern about the child’s safety and supervision at school, the suit further states.
Two months later, other students made fun of N.C.’s disability and he was further harassed and isolated, the suit alleges. In addition, N.C.’s assigned aide was absent at times and even when the person was present some harassment of the plaintiff occurred, the suit contends.
Teachers and other school staff members also often did not intervene when N.C. was bullied by his peers, the suit states. When N.C. attempted to defend himself or react to the bullying, the school disciplined him, the suit states.
A safety plan implemented by the school at the request of N.C.’s mother was ineffective, according to the complaint, which further states that last May 6 N.C. was thrown to the ground by another student who then scratched the boy’s back.
As the bullying continued, N.C. suffered more emotional distress, had difficulty sleeping and started biting his nails, the suit states. He missed several days of school due to his emotional distress and when he returned an effective safety plan was still not in place, the suit states.
N.C. still has emotional distress from the May 2025 attack by the other student, the suit states.
