Brekke

This case is a parent’s nightmare come true. Plaintiff’s 16-year-old daughter, Danielle, started acting out after she became the girlfriend of a 15-year-old boy, defendant, whom she met at school. In addition to her behavioral problems at home, Danielle began skipping school, her grades declined, and she failed three classes. Fearing that her daughter might be using drugs, plaintiff openly searched Danielle’s room and found some disturbing letters written by defendant, instructing Danielle how to retaliate against plaintiff for the restrictions that she had imposed on Danielle. Believing that defendant was a cause of Danielle’s behavior problems, plaintiff told them they could no longer see each other.

Defendant became angry and wrote three vile and vitriolic letters to Danielle, anticipating that plaintiff would discover and read them. One letter—repeatedly demonstrating that defendant’s favorite word is “fuck”— relates his plan to deliberately provoke plaintiff or Danielle’s father into physically attacking defendant, whereupon he would sue them and, “[w]hen we’re eighteen then we can use the money to be together.” Another letter, with the salutation, “Dear Bev…