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World News

Student that suffered abuse for taking his bible to school files lawsuit

by Alex Collett

A Christian student from Florida, who received abuse and was told not to take his bible to school, has filed a lawsuit.

Nicholas Ortiz, 14, is allegedly 'seeking significant damages because the school has destroyed his educational experience.'

Through his parents Rafael and Lourdes Ortiz, the Dhillon Law Group has filed a 206-page lawsuit against Mater Academy, a public charter school in Hialeah Gardens.

The document says: "Nicholas Ortiz, a 14- year-old freshman was discriminated and retailiated against by his high school Mater Academy, because he is a Christian."

"Nicholas repeatedly made the school aware of a pattern of persuasive bullying by his fellow students, bullying that re-enforced by the words and actions of the school.

"Yet the school did not just sweep Nicholas's bullying claims under the rug, failing to report them as required by the law, they retailiated against Nicholas for reporting the harrassment."

The high school freshman began attending Mater Academy Cutler Bay in 2018 and remained enrolled until January 2022. 

The teen, during this time, would often take his Bible to school, to read during his free time to further his faith.

However, many of his fellow students, school staff and administrators did not like it.

Many incidents detailed in the suit highlighted how awful conditions became for Ortiz, as he tried to live out his faith at the school.

These included physical and emotional abuse, and Nicholas's parents allege that they repeatedly complained to the school about the bullying of their son, but nothing was ever done to protect him.

Mater Academy has yet to comment on the case. 
 

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