Hello.
Cherie Blair represented Sebastian Sharp, then 20, in his lawsuit
against the London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames. Mr Sharp alleged
that he had endured four years of insults, kicking and punching by
other pupils at Shene School and that the school had failed to protect
him.
The case actually never went to trial. Mrs Blair won an out-of-court
settlement for Mr Sharp. London Borough of Richmond agreed to pay
£30,000 to Mr Sharp to settle the case.
sources:
'November 1996: in Sharp v. London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames,
Sebastian Sharp, 20, accepted an out-of-court settlement of £30,000
for four years of bullying whilst he was at Shene School, Richmond,
London. Mr Sharp said he was regularly insulted, kicked and punched by
other pupils, who also tied him up with string in a 4-year campaign
starting when he was 11. The London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames
said it wanted to contest the allegation vigorously but the Borough's
insurance company "wanted to avoid a costly and time-consuming court
process".'
source: Bullyonline.org
http://www.bullyonline.org/schoolbully/caselaw.htm
"In 1997, I was involved in one of the first successful claims by a
pupil for damages against a local education authority for the failure
of his school to control bullying. Sebastian Sharp won a five figure
out-of-court settlement."
source: Cherie Blair, The Guardian
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,6903,587243,00.html
"Bullying - Richmond v Sharp
In 1996 in a case brought by a former student - Sebastian Sharp - the
plaintiff maintained that Sheen school had failed to take reasonable
steps to prevent the constant bullying which had been his lot for
three years.
He suggested that had stronger discipline been imposed by the school
he would not have been reduced to a state, as a school leaver, where
he was unable to get a well qualified job. The case was settled at the
door to the courtroom for £30,000."
source: SFS Group
http://www.sfs-group.co.uk/frameset-tglis-case_studies.html
"The phenomenon of victims of bullying suing their schools and
education authorities first emerged in 1994, when Sebastian Sharp
started an action against the Shene school in Richmond. He claimed he
had been the butt of derogatory remarks, teasing and name-calling, and
that the school's failure to protect him had ruined his life - he won
£30,000 damages."
source: Spiked Liberties.
http://www.spiked-online.com/Printable/0000000053BB.htm
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