California School District Agrees to $27 Million Settlement in Teen’s Assault Case
A Southern California school district has made a significant decision. They’re paying a whopping $27 million to settle a lawsuit. This lawsuit was brought by the family of an 8th-grade boy who tragically lost his life after being attacked by two other students at a middle school four years ago.
The Moreno Valley Unified School District has officially settled this case. Lawyers representing the family of 13-year-old Diego Stolz shared this news with the public. Diego was sucker-punched at Landmark Middle School back in September 2019. It was a dreadful incident that led to his passing.
Two teenagers targeted Diego. One of them unexpectedly hit him from behind, causing him to fall and hit his head on a pillar. Shockingly, the two teens didn’t stop there; they continued to assault Diego. Tragically, Diego succumbed to a brain injury nine days later. The entire incident was captured on video.
Dave Ring, the attorney for the Stolz family, expressed that this tragedy could have been avoided. How? He believes that if the school had an anti-bullying policy in place, Diego’s death might have been prevented. This devastating event occurred around 65 miles east of Los Angeles.
Taking Bullying Seriously
Ring emphasized the importance of schools taking bullying seriously. He stated, “Schools need to realize that bullying can never be tolerated, and any complaints of bullying and assault must be taken seriously.”
The school district has not yet responded to requests for comment on the settlement. However, they previously made some changes. These changes include revising their bullying reporting system and providing additional training for their employees. Furthermore, they replaced the school’s principal and vice principal.
Diego’s family filed a wrongful-death lawsuit. They claimed that Diego had reported being bullied to the assistant principal before the fatal attack occurred.
The assailants, both 14 years old at the time of the attack, admitted their guilt in juvenile court. They faced charges of involuntary manslaughter and assault with the potential to cause severe bodily harm. These teenagers spent 47 days in juvenile custody. The judge decided not to impose further jail time but ordered them to undergo anger management therapy.
In conclusion, this tragic incident has led to a substantial settlement, highlighting the importance of addressing bullying in schools and taking it seriously to prevent such heart-wrenching events.