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The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –
The parents of a Farragut High School student, who were arrested last year for allegedly encouraging their child to fight other students, have filed a lawsuit claiming that school officials failed to protect their son and he was assaulted.
The lawsuit was filed Thursday and is seeking $5 million in damages plus court costs. The suit names Knox County, the Board of Education, the principal of Farragut High School, two school resource officers, and a sheriff’s deputy as defendants.
According to court documents, Brent and Monica Pelusio say their son was attacked by five athletes on September 14, 2021.
“During the assault, [the minor] was repeatedly hit and punched, including to his head and face,” the report states.
When the parents arrived to pick their son up the next day, they allegedly found him surrounded by approximately 10 students.
The parents claim in the lawsuit that a school resource office did not immediately respond to the incident but then pepper sprayed their son as he tried to defend himself against the students.
Knox County School Security Officer Sandra Rodgers tells a different version of the story in a 2021 police report, stating that she was directing traffic when she heard a disturbance and witnessed Monica Pelusio and several students yelling in the parking lot.
Rodgers said she then realized that there was about to be a fight and told them several times to stop, but they refused to comply. The record states that at that time, Brent Pelusio allegedly became part of the situation and began encouraging his son to fight one of the other students.
According to Rodgers, she ordered the parents to return to their vehicle three separate times but they refused and continued to encourage their son to fight.
The son and another juvenile then proceeded to fight, although they were ordered to stop several times by Rodgers. She then used pepper spray on the students to stop them.
At the time, the parents were charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor for refusing to stop their son from fighting the other student and disorderly conduct.
The child was also charged, but no other individuals were charged in the incident. The charge against the minor was eventually dismissed, according to the lawsuit.
The parents are suing for “violation of their right to be free from illegal seizure and prosecution.”
About the Author: Jason Vaughn, Media Coordinator for The Tennessee Conservative ~ Jason previously worked for a legacy publishing company based in Crossville, TN in a variety of roles through his career. Most recently, he served as Deputy Director for their flagship publication. Prior, he was a freelance journalist writing articles that appeared in the Herald Citizen, the Crossville Chronicle and The Oracle among others. He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor’s in English-Journalism, with minors in Broadcast Journalism and History. Contact Jason at news@TennesseeConservativeNews.com
