Ramsey April 25, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 9 Sawyer Rosenstein has received a $4.2 million settlement in his lawsuit, which concerned a life-altering bullying incident that occurred while was a student at Ramsey’s Eric Smith Middle School. At age 12, Rosenstein was reportedly punched in the stomach, and sustained a blood clot that left him unable to walk. The school district has not admitted liability or fault in this matter. The district reported that, on May 16, 2006, Rosenstein, then a student at Eric Smith Middle School, was seriously and permanently injured following an incident at the school. The resulting lawsuit named the student who allegedly struck Rosenstein, a number of Smith School staff members, and the Ramsey Board of Education as defendants. During the litigation, the board and its employees were represented by attorneys assigned and paid by the board’s insurance carriers, School Alliance Insurance Fund and Selective Insurance Company. Rosenstein, who is now a student at Syracuse University, indicated that he had emailed school officials to ask for help with Bullying lawsuit results in $4.2 million settlement his situation. His e-mails stated that he was experiencing bullying at school and that the situation was getting worse. “After more than three years of depositions and pre-trial discovery, and following several days of court-supervised mediation sessions and settlement conferences, the board’s insurance carriers agreed to a settlement, as is the right of the carriers to do, both by law and by the terms of the board’s insurance policies,” a district-issued press release states. “The carriers’ determination to settle was made for reasons other than any concession as to the merits of plaintiffs’ claims, including a determination that it was in the best interests of all parties to reach a settlement and to avoid the substantial costs of ongoing litigation. The settlement which was reached was well within the limits of the board’s policies, and, therefore, no taxpayer or board funds were used either for the settlement or for the costs of litigation. There has been no admission by the board or by any of its employees of a violation of any law or duty owed to the plaintiffs. During the course of the litigation, the board addressed and vigorously denied all of the allegations which were made by the plaintiffs to the effect that the board or its employees had failed or compromised its responsibility to develop and to implement effective policies and procedures to protect the safety and rights of all members of the Ramsey school community.” The district’s statement also notes, “The Ramsey School District prides itself for the role which it has played in recognizing and developing an awareness of the dangers of bullying, intimidation and harassment in the school setting. The Ramsey Public Schools have adopted and implemented comprehensive, effective policies to promote respect for all students, staff, and visitors. For the last decade, our district has been addressing bullying -- long before state-mandated legislation. The district’s character education and harassment/intimidation/bullying initiatives and prevention and reporting practices have one goal: to keep our children safe. All of the programs and procedures which have been adopted by Ramsey far exceed the mandates and criteria established by legislation in the State of New Jersey. Our staff continues to address these issues daily. The Ramsey School Board understands that no settlement amount will offset the suffering that has occurred to the individuals involved in this matter.” The Ramsey Area Garden Club will hold its Annual Plant Sale on May 12 at the Ramsey Train Station off Main Street. The sale will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will feature a large variety of annuals and perennials from professional growers and plants donated by the club’s members. Gardeners hold Plant Sale There will be an assortment of hanging baskets, houseplants, and Mother’s Day gift baskets for sale. All proceeds from the event will benefit the club’s horticultural and educational programs.