Wrongful death lawsuit alleges bullying within Hallsville School District
13-year-old Rylie Wagner took her own life because of bullying within the Hallsville R-IV School District, according to a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by Wagner’s mother.
The documents said Wagner attended the Hallsville R-IV School District from January, 2016, up to the time of her death on April 4, 2017.
The suit claimed Wagner was bullied prior to her death and the school did nothing to stop it. It said she was targeted for her gender and her sexual orientation.
“Rylie, as well as others similarly situated students, experienced bullying at Hallsville R-IV School District that was generally complained of but ignored, and often met with the consequences of the victim of bullying being subjected to punishment and further bullying,” the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit said students, including Wagner, and parents of students told district administrators about their concern over bullying, but their concern was ignored or “refused to be received in any meaningful and reasonable way compared to the seriousness of the situation.”
The court documents also alleged Wagner’s sibling experienced bullying and harassment from other students.
In a statement to ABC 17 News, a spokeswoman for the Hallsville R-IV School District said:
The Hallsville R-IV School District is aware of the pending civil action filed against the district. As professional educators, we strive to always put students’ safety and well-being first, and the district is committed to maintaining a learning and working environment free of any form of bullying or intimidation. Within our district, we take all allegations of bullying seriously, and complete a full investigation into every report of such instances, in accordance with board policies and state law. At this time, we are unable to speak about pending legal action or circumstances related to any allegation of student bullying.
Wagner is seeking damages from the school district, the middle school assistant principal, the middle school principal and the superintendent of the district.
*Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article had other information at the end of the statement from the Hallsville School District that was not part of the statement.
