Hallsville School District responds to wrongful death lawsuit

Attorneys for the Hallsville R-IV School District responded to the wrongful death lawsuit that targets the district, the Hallsville Middle School assistant principal, the former middle school principal and the superintendent of the district.

The response was filed Friday and stated that 13-year-old Rylie Wagner “was not bullied by any District student or employee.”

Wagner’s mother filed the lawsuit after Rylie died by suicide. It alleges she died because of bullying within the Hallsville School District.

Wagner died in April 2017, and 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.

In its response, the District asked the court to dismiss all counts in the lawsuit.