At a time when new sexual assault allegations appear to be coming out every single day, there are often times when victims find it hard to have their words believed. It’s situations like one that happened at a Pennsylvania school which make it so that many victims are too scared to come forward. Five so-called “mean girls” falsely accused a boy at their school of sexual assault simply due to the fact that they don’t like him.
In a case that has been called the “Mean Girls Case,” five high school girls in Pennsylvania claimed that a male student sexually assaulted them, according to Fox News . It was later learned that all of those allegations were false and completely made up by the girls because they simply “don’t like” the male student.
Due to their actions, the girls have received the name “Mean Girls” based off of the 2004 film starring Lindsay Lohan.
As if the situation of the false accusations wasn’t a big enough deal at Seneca Valley High School in Pittsburgh, the school chose to not punish them for their actions. Now, Michael J. and Alicia Flood, the male student’s parents, have filed a lawsuit against the school to seek unspecified damages.
According to Trib Live , the lawsuit states that the girls “conspired in person and via electronic communication devices to falsely accuse [their son] of sexual assault on two occasions.”
Not only did the false sexual assault allegations lead to trouble at school, but he was also fired from his employment at a swimming pool. The male student was also “forced to endure multiple court appearances, detention in a juvenile facility, detention at home, the loss of his liberty and other damages.”
After all of that happened, the student began being homeschooled and now suffers from mental health problems.
As reported by the NY Post , school officials released a statement on Monday that defended their actions in the “Mean Girls Case.” It had been revealed that the school did not punish the female students who reported false sexual assault claims against the male student, but the school insists they acted accordingly.
“The number-one priority of the Seneca Valley School District is the safety and well-being of our students, staff, parents and volunteers who enter our buildings.
“We have policies and procedures in place to protect individuals, and we communicate to all employees on these policies and work hard every day to provide a safe and caring learning environment for all.”
According to Penn Live , back in October of 2017, one of the female accusers told some of her classmates “that she would do anything to get T.F. expelled” and admitted that she “accused T.F. of sexual assault.” That is detailed in the suit brought forward by the Floods.
Some have spoken out against the school saying that the girls should face consequences for their actions which were very damaging. Some alums state that making a joke and lying about sexual assault is a serious enough situation to bring forth punishment.
The Flood family is hoping that the lawsuit filed can help bring about some kind of help and peace to their family. Their son has had his entire life changed due to the false sexual allegations brought against him, and the Pennsylvania high school he attended believes nothing needed to be done. The “Mean Girls Case” is far from over, though, and the family hopes that pushing ahead with their lawsuit will help them and other families.