A California Teen Was Awarded $1 Million Dollars After A Jury Found That Her School District Failed To Safeguard Her From Relentless Bullying, And There Even Was A Petition Circulated By Her Classmates Trying To Get Her To Take Her Own Life

El Segundo Unified School District in California was just ordered to pay one million dollars after failing to safeguard Eleri Irons, a middle school student, who had been “bullied, tormented, and verbally assaulted” by classmates who even launched a petition to end her life.

The tormenting in question occurred from November 2017 to June 2018 at the hands of three bullies when Eleri was just thirteen-years-old.

According to the lawsuit filed in 2019, Eleri reportedly cut herself, suffered from PTSD, and would go to the school nurse’s office almost every lunch break in search of refuge.

And the negligence all began after the school faculty did not properly address a petition entitled “Let’s Kill Eleri Irons” that was circulating throughout the student body.

Then, after Eleri’s parents confronted school officials about the petition and asked for help, the administration reportedly “dismissed the concerns as drama over a teen love triangle,” according to Christa Ramey, Eleri’s attorney.

Additionally, Melissa Gooden– El Segundo Middle School’s former principal– allegedly lied and said she had contacted police regarding the death threat immediately after learning about it in June of 2018.

“She did not call the police that day. She attempted to make it seem like they did everything they could, but, in reality, during the entire year, they didn’t do anything. They never investigated a single claim of bullying made by my client,” Gooden said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.

And two weeks ago, a jury ruled that the school district failed to properly train and supervise its workers. Moreover, these school workers never protected thirteen-year-old Eleri.

“Every teacher, counselor, and administrator who touched this case failed not only my client but also the aggressors and every other student at the school. Bullying is to be taken seriously, and the administrators are culpable when they don’t stop it,” Gooden added.

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