Three girls are suing a former Baltimore school police officer over an incident in October 2014 at Vanguard Collegiate Middle School.

The three suits stem from an argument between one of the girls and the officer in the hallway of the Northeast Baltimore school that allegedly escalated into blows.

Officer Lakisha Pulley seized the girl's hair, pushed her against a door and hit her, the lawsuits allege. The girl's sister intervened and was hit; their cousin joined in and she was beaten too, according to their suits.

Each girl, individually, is suing Pulley, a teacher, the city, the school district, its police force and school officials. The Baltimore Sun is not identifying the girls because they are minors.

“The officer is basically acting like a hall monitor and then she uses police tactics, basically to enforce her hall-monitor task,” said Jared Jaskot, attorney for the girls. “You can't mix policing and hall monitor.”

The three lawsuits were filed April 12 in Baltimore Circuit Court. Each one requests a jury trial and at least $75,000 for “physical pain, emotional anguish, fear, anxiety, humiliation, embarrassment and other physical and emotional injuries.” Jaskot said the law caps lawsuits against the school district at $100,000.

Pulley, the school district and city have not filed responses. Pulley could not be reached for comment. A spokeswoman for the school district had no comment beyond saying Pulley resigned from the force last October.

About four months after the scuffle, the city state's attorney's office charged Pulley with assault, reckless endangerment and misconduct in office. In September, she pleaded guilty to second-degree assault. The other charges were dropped. She was sentenced in December to six months' probation.

“It was a defendable case. We were prepared for trial, but the state dropped all the felony counts and she was offered probation ... it was too good of a situation to turn down,” said her attorney, Marc Zayon.

He is not representing Pulley in the lawsuits; online court records did not list an attorney.

The incident on the morning of Oct. 28, 2014, was captured by video surveillance at the school.

Shortly before 10 a.m., during a change in classes, the argument started in the hall between Pulley and one of the students. As the scuffle progressed, she and her sister also were pepper-sprayed in the face, the suits allege.

A teacher held one sister while she was sprayed and their cousin was hit in the face and head with the police officer's baton, according to their suits.

The girls were charged with assault and battery, creating a disturbance at school, and obstructing police. Prosecutors eventually dropped all charges against them. They also were expelled, Jaskot said. The girls now attend another city school.

Since then, the force tasked with policing city schools has faced increased criticism and, in turn, proposed budget cuts.

Two months ago, cellphone video surfaced showing an officer slapping a teenager outside the REACH Partnership school in Clifton Park.

Two officers are charged with second-degree assault and misconduct in office in that incident. They are scheduled for trial in July.

tprudente@baltsun.com