Central Islip, NY — A federal judge has shut down a late-stage effort by the parents of a hearing-impaired student to add sweeping new civil rights claims and nine additional defendants to an ongoing lawsuit against the Three Village Central School District over alleged bullying.
Magistrate Judge Anne Y. Shields denied the request by Jacqueline and Keith Reyling, who are suing on behalf of their son B.R., to amend their complaint a second time and fold in new allegations—many of which already form the basis of a separate lawsuit filed earlier this year.
In her ruling, Judge Shields said further briefing was unnecessary and treated the parties’ letters as formal motions under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 15. She rejected the proposed amendment as untimely and improper, noting that the original case, filed in January 2023, is nearly trial-ready after extensive litigation and discovery.
Parents allege disability-based bullying
The Reylings’ first amended complaint, filed in September 2023, claims that B.R. was subjected to bullying and physical harassment at the hands of students while attending school in the Three Village Central School District. The family alleges the abuse was based on B.R.’s hearing disability, and they accuse the district of failing to intervene.
That complaint includes one federal claim under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and several parallel state law disability discrimination and tort claims. The parties have since engaged in significant discovery, including depositions and document exchanges focused on specific incidents of alleged misconduct.
Attempt to add federal civil rights claims and new defendants
The proposed second amended complaint (PSAC) aimed to add new allegations stemming from a March 2023 incident—six months before the first amended complaint was filed—and introduced nine additional defendants, along with sweeping new claims under 42 U.S.C. §§ 1983 and 1985. The Reylings also attempted to invoke Monell liability against the district and asserted due process, equal protection, and civil conspiracy violations.
Judge Shields pointed out that the proposed second amended complaint is identical to a complaint already filed in a separate case—Reyling v. Three Village Central School District, Case No. 25-1732—which remains pending.
“The proposed amendments would upend the current litigation posture,” the judge wrote. “Plaintiffs seek to effectively consolidate an entirely new lawsuit into this one at the end of discovery and on the eve of trial.”
Two cases, one family, different claims
The court emphasized that the Reylings’ latest effort is not just a routine amendment—it’s a backdoor attempt to merge a newer case into a nearly completed one. That newer case, filed two years after the original action began, features different claims, more expansive constitutional allegations, and additional parties.
“This Court declines to allow such procedural gamesmanship,” the decision stated, denying the motions to supplement and amend under Rules 15(d) and 15(a)(2).
The case will now proceed to trial based solely on the first amended complaint.
Key Points
- Judge denies request to add new civil rights claims and nine defendants to disability bullying lawsuit
- Plaintiffs already filed a separate, identical lawsuit containing the new claims
- Original case against Long Island school district now heads to trial as initially pleaded
A federal judge refused to let parents expand their school bullying lawsuit into a sweeping civil rights case just before trial, calling it a last-minute legal end run.
