Judge says parents can’t be made to pay for kids’ bullying

A New Jersey judge has ruled that the parents of alleged bullies cannot be held financially liable for their children’s actions.

The ruling came Monday in a lawsuit against the Flemington-Raritan and Central Regional School Districts by the family of a boy who claims to have been bullied by others.

The school districts attempted to have the parents of 13 alleged bullies held responsible for making fun of the boy’s weight, using anti-gay slurs, throwing pasta at him and pulling down his pants.

But Superior Court Judge Yolanda Ciccone said they can’t be pulled into the case directly. But she ruled that the districts could pursue claims against five of the students themselves. If those claims are successful, those students’ parents could still be forced to pay.