MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court (SC) has found Mother Goose Special School System, Inc. civilly liable for negligence after a bullying incident inside its classroom led to the assault of a student.

In a decision penned by Associate Justice Mario V. Lopez, the SC’s Second Division ruled that the school failed to act on a punching incident involving three grade school students during a computer class. 

The assault happened while the teacher was in the comfort room.

Despite the victim’s reports to his teachers, the school took no meaningful action. When the victim’s parents raised the matter with the school, their complaints were ignored, forcing them to file formal requests for investigation. The school ultimately dismissed the assault as mere “teasing” or “rough play” and imposed no disciplinary measures, it said.

Dissatisfied, the parents filed a complaint for damages against the school, the teachers, and the fathers of the students involved.

The Regional Trial Court (RTC) initially ruled that both the school and the teacher-in-charge were liable, citing their duty to protect students during school hours. The Court of Appeals (CA) upheld the decision but cleared the teacher, who was absent during the incident.

Affirming the CA’s ruling, the Supreme Court stressed that schools have a contractual obligation to maintain a safe learning environment for students.

“[N]o student can absorb the intricacies of physics or higher mathematics or explore the realm of the arts and other sciences when bullets are flying or grenades exploding in the air,” the Court said.

The SC reiterated that learning institutions must maintain peace and order within their premises and even beyond campus during school-sanctioned activities. Schools may only avoid liability if they can prove they exercised due diligence.

Mother Goose School was found negligent for lacking proper protocols, failing to promptly inform the victim’s parents, and conducting an inaccurate investigation into the incident.

“Notably, every parent who entrusts their child to a learning institution does so with the assurance that the school, owing to its obligation not only to provide but also to maintain a safe learning environment, will protect the child from harm or will promptly address similar incidents after its occurrence,” the Court added.

The Supreme Court also recognized the incident as a form of bullying in the general sense, although it clarified that the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013 had not yet been enacted at the time of the incident.

Mother Goose School was ordered to pay P650,000 in damages and attorney’s fees to the victim’s parents.