The South Florida teen facing attempted murder charges for nearly beating Josie Lou Ratley to death outside her Deerfield Beach Middle School is putting up another fight.
Wayne Treacy, 16, is suing the Broward School Board and Sheriff's Office, claiming he's not receiving enough schooling as he awaits trial behind bars, the Sun-Sentinel reported Thursday.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, claims Treacy is getting less than five hours per week of instruction, even though school district records show he's getting over 28 hours per week.
Treacy has been behind bars since the March 17 attack on the then 15-year-old Ratley at a bus stop outside Deerfield Beach Middle School. The attack was allegedly prompted by a text message from Ratley mentioning Treacy's dead brother.
He faces an adult charge of attempted murder.
State law requires giving young offenders 25 hours of class time per week while in juvenile detention, but since Treacy is charged as an adult, he's sitting in the main jail in Broward, where he claims his education has basically stopped.
The lawsuit isn't seeking any money, only that Treacy receive more schooling.
School Superintendent Jim Notter said he'd look into whether Treacy is getting fewer hours of instruction than is being reported.
"If there's an entitlement by law that a juvenile in jail gets a regular school day, I will be glad to provide it," Notter told the Sun-Sentinel.
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Treacy's attorney, Greg Durden, reiterated that his client has pleaded not guilty and could be at a distinct disadvantage if proven innocent.
"What about the kid who's found not guilty?" Durden asked. "What do we tell him after he's been in jail, not gotten any education, and then gets released with no training except being an inmate?"
