Family of Pinellas teen files lawsuit two years after incident involving Gulfport police officer
TAMPA, Fla. - The family of a Pinellas County teenager filed a civil rights lawsuit against the Pinellas County school district and Gulfport Police Department on Thursday, two years after an in-school fight they said left the girl "traumatized."
Several attorneys held a press conference regarding the civil complaint against Pinellas County schools related to the incident that happened back in 2022.
Maniya Sheriffe was 15 years old in 2022 when she said she was bullied at Boca Ciega High School by several girls. She claims a Gulfport police officer who was on campus addressing an unrelated incident got involved and got physical with her, causing injuries to her face.
Her attorneys said the teen was arrested, but the charges were dropped.
During the news conference outside the federal courthouse, the family’s attorneys explained the lawsuit filed on behalf of Sheriffe's family names several defendants, including the district, school board and police department.
Attorney Bridgette Domingos
"This incident changed her, and she hasn't been the same," said Destini Lewis, Sheriffe's mother. "I'm speechless, you know? I feel bad for her. I just wish when this first happened, they would have called me."
The family's attorneys said that call never happened, and they believe that was one of several failures.
"They failed to contact the parent, the most basic thing they could have done. They could have picked her up. This could have been completely avoidable," said Shannon Ligon, one of the family's attorneys, adding as part of the lawsuit, the family wants the district and police department to re-examine their policies regarding law enforcement interaction in schools. "We need to have people that are trained in youth development and know the art of de-escalation, so our clients don't return home victimized."
The district and police department declined to comment on pending litigation on Thursday.
SIGN UP: Click here to sign up for the FOX 13 daily newsletter
The department, however, cleared the officer involved of wrongdoing in 2022. The chief wrote a letter to Sheriffe's family, blaming her for instigating the fights and saying she caused her own injuries when she tried to resist the officer's attempts to stop the altercation and detain her.
The family disputes that description of the situation. The district has said there is surveillance video of the incident but has declined to release it to the public.