The parents of a 16-year-old student who died by suicide in 2022 have reached a confidential settlement with the Landon School in Bethesda, Maryland, months before a wrongful death trial that was scheduled to begin in May.
Dawn and Scott Schnell, of McLean, Virginia, the parents of Charlie Schnell, filed the suit in January 2024 in Montgomery County Circuit Court. The parents named the highly-ranked school, its headmaster and three other administrators as defendants.
Court records show the claims against the school, as well as the individual employees, have been dismissed. 海角精品黑料 is seeking comment from Landon School, and the attorney for the family.
The suit alleged the teen had transferred to Landon as a freshman, after enduring bullying at his previous school.
During his freshman year at Landon, he played football and lacrosse.
The suit details a series of traumatic events in his sophomore year, including the suicide of a classmate and close friend鈥檚 father, and the perceived threat of a fellow student to 鈥渟hoot up鈥� the school.
Schnell also suffered a concussion during wrestling practice, according to his parents鈥� lawsuit, filed by attorney Debra Soltis.
The 81-page suit cites an incident in the late fall of 2021, in which Charlie Schnell described himself as 鈥渢ired,鈥� 鈥渨orried鈥� and in 鈥渋nsane pain,鈥� because of an ongoing tonsils ailment.
He also detailed his feelings and concerns about the potential of violence at Landon in an assignment, which was viewed by his English teacher.
I鈥檓 worried about the school shooting threats. I鈥檝e run the scenario through my head and talked to my dad and advisor. They can鈥檛 even imagine because of the infrequency of school shootings at their age. If there were a shooting I wouldn鈥檛 want to run and leave all my friends but I also wouldn鈥檛 want to get shot so it鈥檚 very contradicting.听So right now I would sum everything up to being tired, in pain, hopeful and worried.
In March of 2022, less than six weeks after his concussion, the suit said the teen 鈥渕ade a mistake鈥� and muttered a profanity under his breath at a coach during lacrosse practice.
As the school鈥檚 disciplinary committee deliberated about possible consequences for the lacrosse incident, the suit said a Black student at Landon, who was a friend of Charlie Schnell, reported to an administrator that Schnell, who was white, had shown him a racist picture.
By the next day, 鈥渞umors of the alleged drawing had spread like wildfire throughout the school (including to its faculty), and there was tangible and explicit animus as well as threats being expressed by Landon students鈥� toward Schnell.
Schnell鈥檚 parents said the school hadn鈥檛 advised them of the allegation concerning the drawing, or growing anger against and ostracization of their son.
According to the suit, on March 27, 2022, Schnell, 鈥渨ho had just 13 days earlier been forced to withdraw from the Landon School, took down his Landon banner from above his bed, made it into a noose and hanged himself.鈥�
The suit includes several studies that describe trauma, bullying and concussions as elements that raise the risk of suicide. In addition, the suit alleges the school didn鈥檛 have a written policy that bullying allegations required a prompt investigation, or effective suicide prevention or intervention programs.
If you or someone you know is going through a mental health crisis, call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at聽988Lifeline.org.听
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