Did Sherwood High protect bully because he was a good athlete? Some say 'yes' | Parents & kids

SHERWOOD, Ore. -- People in Sherwood are attempting to answer a tough question about the local high school. The question? Did school officials know a bully was a problem, but try to protect him because they didn't want to jeopardize his progress toward a state championship?

The father of a student victim from the alleged Sherwood High School bully said the bullying began when his son accidentally bumped into the bully in the hallway at the school. The student apologized to the older student, but the bully didn't accept it, the father said. Nearly a month of daily taunting followed, culminating with a sucker punch outside of a classroom.

"It took his tooth completely out, just shot right out of his jaw, and he took him down with a pro-wrestling move," the father said. "He tried to get him to get back up and fight."

With his son's nose broken and self-esteem shattered, the father said it got even worse when he felt school officials tried to protect the bully, a student-athlete headed toward a state title in his sport. The father said Vice Principal Matt Boring encouraged him not to report the incidents to police. The father didn't listen to Boring.

"I have a friend who's a retired police officer," the father said. "I called him up and asked him what he thought about that. He was flabbergasted, you know. He said, 'No way. Call the police.'"

That call led to the bully's arrest, an assault conviction in juvenile court and probation for a year. School district officials won't confirm whether or not they suspended the bully for five days, as the victim's father said.
    
News of the lawsuit has taken many by surprise, including Sherwood High School junior Taylor Mathews. She doesn't think athletes receive preferential treatment.

"I've never really seen any of that," she said. "Everyone gets a fair shot. Everyone's treated the same."

Tammy Mathews, Taylor's mother, said she found the news "shocking because I highly respect the principal that was there. she didn't tolerate that sort of stuff. Find it hard to believe."

Boring, the assistant principal, is now the head principal at Corvallis High School. He said he was sorry, but wasn't able to comment.

There's no law against bullying in Oregon, but the district -- which has a motto of 'A great place for all kids' -- said students can be expelled for it. However, this case begs the question of how liable are school in preventing similar attacks, especially when, as the victim's family claims, they knew the bully had issues going back to middle school?