Ursuline High School – Photo: SilentMatt Psychedelic / Wikimedia
A gay former student at a Catholic high school has filed a federal lawsuit accusing administrators of ignoring relentless bullying and harassment by members of the school’s storied football team.
The lawsuit, filed by a student identified as “Grandson Rudolph” and his legal guardian, “Grandmother Rudolph,” alleges that administrators shielded football players from discipline, prioritizing their protection over the safety of other students, according to CBS affiliate WTRF.
Filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, the suit names Ursuline High School, Assistant Principal Margaret Damore, and the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown as defendants.
According to the complaint, administrators violated Grandson Rudolph’s rights under Title IX, which bars sex-based discrimination in federally funded schools. It also asserts three state-law claims: negligence, negligent supervision, and negligent training, supervision, discipline, hiring, and retention.
The Rudolphs are requesting a jury trial. They are seeking a declaration that the school violated the student’s rights, an order barring retaliation against the family, and financial compensation for the alleged harm — including emotional distress and reputational damage — along with attorney fees.
During the 2023-2024 school year, Grandson Rudolph — then an out gay freshman — endured daily abuse from football players, including homophobic slurs, physical intimidation, and having food thrown at him hard enough to leave a visible red mark. The mistreatment continued beyond school grounds.
The filing also alleges that a religious education teacher, Nannette Jacobs, joined in the abuse by making comments about the student’s appearance. Rudolph says other teachers witnessed the behavior but took no meaningful action to stop it, despite his multiple complaints to Damore, the assistant principal.
Grandmother Rudolph made 20 calls to the school over an 11-week span without any resolution. One reported incident at a McDonald’s involved football players mocking both the student and his grandmother. When she brought the incident to school staff, including head football coach Daniel Reardon, she was met with hostility and received no help.
As a result of the ongoing abuse and the school’s inaction, Grandson Rudolph transferred to another school. He is now in weekly counseling and is expected to continue receiving mental health support.
The school declined to comment, citing the pending lawsuit.
The Rudolph filing is the third federal lawsuit accusing Ursuline High School and several administrators and coaches of ignoring repeated reports of bullying, harassment, and assault.
Subodh Chandra, the attorney representing plaintiffs in all three cases, says additional lawsuits may be filed as more victims and witnesses come forward.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill requiring federally funded public schools to "out" transgender students to their parents if school officials learn the students identify as a gender different from their assigned sex at birth.
H.R. 2616, the "Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act" -- dubbed the "Don't Say Trans" bill by critics -- passed 217-198, with eight Democrats joining Republicans and one independent in support of the measure.
Sponsored by U.S. Reps. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) and Burgess Owens (R-Utah), the bill requires public schools to obtain parental permission before using names or pronouns that do not align with a student's assigned sex at birth or recognizing a student's gender identity.
The U.S. Department of Education has opened a civil rights investigation into Smith College, accusing the all-women's school in Northampton, Massachusetts, of violating federal laws against sex-based discrimination by allowing transgender women to enroll.
The investigation marks the first time the Trump administration has targeted school admissions policies as part of its broader crackdown on transgender rights. Previously, the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights had focused primarily on transgender athletes competing on female sports teams and transgender restroom access.
A grand jury concluded that Syracuse City Judge Felicia Pitts-Davis discriminated against a lesbian couple by refusing to marry them and then attempted to conceal her actions, recommending that she be removed from the bench.
In a June 5 ruling, the Appellate Division of the Fourth Judicial Department ordered that the December 2024 grand jury report be unsealed. The report was made public over the weekend.
"Judge Pitts-Davis laid bare her bigotry towards homosexual people and her willingness to put her personal feelings above her oath as an official charged with discharging the law," the report states.
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