SGF: Mom of girl attacked at high school files lawsuit

By Gordon Woodworth, Chronicle News Editor

Tara Edwards, the mother of the 14-year-old girl who was attacked in September 2018 during lunch at South Glens Falls High School, is moving forward with her lawsuit against the school district.

Attorney Bill Nikas filed a complaint in Saratoga County Supreme Court on Oct. 16th, effectively putting the school district on notice that a lawsuit was being filed.

We had contacted him, asking about the status of the lawsuit, and he provided a copy. He said the summons of complaint was served late last month, and the school district has 20 days to file a written answer.

“Then, they will again get to question our people in depositions — which they did after I filed a notice of claim in 2018 — and then I get to question district administrators and anyone else I want.”

Mr. Nikas said he expects the depositions will take up to nine months before a jury trial is held in Saratoga County Supreme Court.

We reached out via email to school superintendent Kristine Orr for comment. She responded, writing, “At this time the district has no comment on pending litigation.”

The complaint does not identify the student or her mother, but both Tara and Emma Edwards agreed to let The Chronicle use their names, as they did in previous stories.

The complaint says Emma Edwards suffered “physical and emotional injuries” as a result of the attack, which was filmed by another student and briefly posted on social media.

“Prior to the assault,” Mr. Nikas writes, “…the behavior of [the student who allegedly attacked Emma] was known to [the school district] to be frequently of a violent, harassing and bullying nature imposed upon various students…[and] was often specifically directed against [Emma] with the full knowledge of [the school district].”

The complaint alleges the district “was negligent, careless and reckless” by “failing to monitor, supervise, manage or otherwise control the conduct of its students…failing to provide adequate supervision and to protect [Emma] from an unreasonably dangerous climate of violent, bullying behavior, thereby causing her injuries and damages,” and “having prior knowledge of bullying and assaultive behavior…and having specific prior notice of said bullying and assaultive behavior being perpetrated, failing to take any appropriate action to prevent injuries and damages,” to Emma.

“As a result of the negligence…the plaintiffs have sustained physical injuries, damages, pain, suffering and lost of quality of life, some of which are permanent.”

Mr. Nikas is seeking unspecified damages from the school district.’

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