A Howard County Circuit Court judge dismissed a lawsuit Monday against the Howard County Board of Education and former superintendent Michael Martirano, shutting down a high school graduate’s allegations of “bullying.”

The complaint filed in January centered on a handshake between Martirano and graduate Rennen Dorsey on the stage of Marriotts Ridge High School’s 2023 commencement ceremony.

Dorsey, who was 17 at the time of the incident, said she declined to shake the Martirano’s hand in an act of solidarity with her father, a longtime administrator who was facing disciplinary action. Martirano allegedly forced her to shake his hand anyway, behaving in a “bullying fashion” on one of the biggest days of the teen’s life, the lawsuit claimed.

Attorneys for the Board of Education and Martirano each filed motions to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that Dorsey wasn’t physically harmed in the incident and the facts of the case didn’t meet the legal standards for assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. They contended it was common practice for the superintendent to shake each student’s hand and Dorsey did not tell any school staff in advance that she wanted to deviate from the tradition.

Discussions about an appeal are ongoing, Dorsey’s attorney Mark Muffoletto said in an email Monday afternoon.

“We are obviously very disappointed with the ruling in that it stands for the premise that a young lady can have her personal boundaries ignored by someone in a position of power and have another in a position of power sanction it by trivializing the encounter,” Muffoletto said. “Ms. Dorsey had a right to be heard and have a jury decide how offensive Mr. Martirano’s actions were. We also believe she deserved a better outcome after waiting 4 months for the ruling from the Court.”

Muffoletto went on to say his client was brave to stand up to the superintendent both at graduation and through the litigation.

Attorneys representing Martirano and the Howard County Board of Education did not respond immediately to requests for comment Monday afternoon.

The ruling this week spares the Howard County Public School System from paying out any damages or settlement costs related to the lawsuit. The complaint was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be brought again, though Dorsey and her attorney could opt to appeal the dismissal.

The former student filed the complaint against Martirano and the Howard County Board of Education on Jan. 10, the same day the superintendent already planned to leave his job.

The school board abruptly announced Martirano’s retirement in November 2023, but did not give a reason for the departure, which came 18 months into his four-year contract.

At the time, one of the board members said Martirano had been thinking about retiring. Earlier in the term, some parents had called for his resignation after widespread busing issues stranded thousands of students during the first week of school.