Teenager Who Was Forced To Pee In A Bucket At School Awarded USD$2.1M

A 14-year-old girl, who was forced to pee in a bucket after her teacher banned her from leaving the room to go to the toilet, has been awarded over USD$2.1 million as compensation.

The student, from San Diego in the US, has sued her school after she was forced to go into a small supply room to urinate, and carry the bucket back to the classroom sink in February 2012.

The girl, who was then 14 years old, has been bullied since the incident, which resulted to her anxiety and depression before moving schools several times, just to escape the constant teasing.

Her attorney, Brian Watkins told the San Diego Union-Tribune how the incident affected the teen’s life. “Something like this never should have happened to a 14-year-old girl just entering high school. She took the stand and told a really embarrassing story, she told the jury how this has affected her life and how she is still working through issues,” he said.

In the teen’s lawsuit, she claimed the teacher made her urinate in a bucket in a bid to “humiliate and disgrace” her. She claimed she had no choice but to use the bucket, as the school policy stipulated that students were not permitted to take bathroom breaks during class.

The school’s attorney argued the female teacher thought the teen had found a way around the no-bathroom-break policy.

However, the lawyer said the teacher had a “lapse of judgement” when she decided it was a “good idea” to give the girl the bucket.

The court heard that school administrators had apologised to the teen and offered to help her rearrange her class schedule, but she declined.

After five years of battle in the San Diego Superior Court, the teenager was awarded (USD)$1.25 million in damages and a further (USD)$41,000 to cover medical bills.

The teacher did not return to the school after being put on paid leave.

Source: Au.news.yahoo.com