An 11-Year-Old Florida Boy Died By Suicide, and His Alleged Bully Will Make Your Blood Run Cold
A Florida family was forced to bury their sweet 11-year-old boy after an apparent suicide. However, the lawsuit they filed points to a shocking suspect in the bullying he experienced before his death.
Legacy Elementary School fifth grader Louis Johnson was reported to have taken his own life in April of 2023. The Marion County Sheriff's Office said after coming home, his dad left his firearm on the counter and walked outside briefly to check his truck. Within that time, Louis grabbed the gun and shot himself. Despite being hospitalized, police said he died two days later from the injuries.
Following the incident, his parents passed out 'Suicide Prevention' flyers to spread awareness. However, they also used their activism to call out the person they believe was responsible for making Louis' life miserable: one of his teacher's, Dawn White.
In a newly filed wrongful death lawsuit, the parents detailed the heartbreaking verbal abuse Louis was allegedly subject to. White was accused of ridiculing Louis in front of his classmates for months ahead of his death. The suit says the teacher would call the boy 'stupid,' said he 'didn't know anything' and mocked him about his grades in front of the class. She would even go as far as encouraging other students in joining the banter, the suit claims.
'I don't know why you're talking because you don't even know anything. You don't know nothing in this class. Isn't that right, kids?' White allegedly told Johnson, per the lawsuit.
Johnson's parents, Tyka and Louis Sr., accused Marion County Public Schools of taking 'no action' to prevent the alleged bullying after having contacted the school to discuss the matter but to no avail, per the suit. They said as a result, their son suffered mental distress including anxiety, depression and embarrassment which manifested into physical distress. Following an internal investigation into Louis' death, White's contract with the school was not renewed, per the Ocala Star-Banner.
The investigation found she 'chronically inflicted psychological distress' on not just Louis but on 'multiple students.' The report says she 'verbally insulted, humiliated and embarrassed students' which 'created a hostile educational environment.' Unfortunately, amidst the alleged bullying, Louis' requests to be released from her class went unheard. Now, Johnson's family are left grieving the boy they described as being 'full of potential and promise.'
'He loved the beach, catching crabs, making TikTok recipes and was a huge advocate for the homeless. If he saw a homeless person, he immediately said, 'Dad, we gotta pray for that person,'' they wrote in a GoFundMe post. 'For those of you who knew him, you were the lucky ones. He would light up any room with his infectious smile. Through this page we not only want to give LJ the voice he deserves, but to bring awareness to suicide as a result of adult bullying against children.'
Johnson's family demanded $75,000 in damages as well as a jury trial.
For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Top TikToker Khaby Lame detained by US immigration
US immigration agents detained and later allowed the "voluntary departure" of the world's most-followed TikToker, Khaby Lame, after he "overstayed" his visa, authorities said Saturday. "US Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained Seringe Khabane Lame, 25, a citizen of Italy, June 6, at the Harry Reid International Airport, Las Vegas, Nevada for immigration violations," the agency said in a statement to AFP. Lame entered the United States on April 30 and "overstayed the terms of his visa," the statement said of the Friday detention, adding that he was released the same day. The Italian national, who is a UNICEF goodwill ambassador and has a following of more than 162 million on TikTok, "has since departed the US." Lame had not immediately posted publicly about the incident as of Saturday afternoon. Since taking power in January, US President Donald Trump has delivered on campaign promises to tighten immigration controls and carry out a mass deportation drive -- aspects of which have been challenged in US courts. Lame holds top spot on the wildly popular TikTok social media app, with 162.2 million followers and has risen to fame for his short silent videos mocking the convoluted tutorials and tips that abound on the internet. He punctuates his videos with a trademark gesture -- palms turned towards the sky, accompanied by a knowing smile and wide eyes -- as he offers his own simple remedies. The idea for his content came to him while wandering around the housing project where his family lived in Chivasso, near Turin, after losing his factory mechanic's job in March 2020. His posts took off -- helping him gross an estimated $16.5 million through marketing deals with companies in the period between June 2022 and September 2023, according to Forbes. aha/acb
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
Khaby Lame Posts on Social Media After ICE Confirms Detaining Him
Khaby Lame, the world's most popular TikToker, has posted several times on social media since ICE confirmed detaining him. According to a statement ICE emailed Men's Journal on June 7, the agency detained Lame on accusations of immigration violations in Nevada but let him voluntarily leave the country. You wouldn't know that from his social media pages, though, as Lame has posted to both his Instagram story and TikTok page since news went viral that he was arrested by ICE. Lame posted a video with costumed mascots to TikTok, and he posted several times to his Instagram story, including a photo showing a hand holding a book in a bookstore and a shout-out to an athlete for his birthday. He also posted about Eid Mubarak. He has more than 162 million TikTok followers. News that ICE had taken Lame into custody first broke via an X influencer named Bo Louden, although many people raised questions about the initial report because Lame no longer came up in the ICE detention database. That may be because the agency now says it let him leave the country. Louden wrote that he was the person who reported Lame to ICE. Here's the official statement by ICE, which the agency emailed to Men's Journal on June 7, after Men's Journal wrote ICE the night before to ask whether it was true the world's most followed TikToker had been arrested. 'U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained Seringe Khabane Lame, 25, a citizen of Italy, June 6, at the Harry Reid International Airport, Las Vegas, Nevada for immigration violations,' ICE confirmed to Men's Journal. 'Lame entered the United States April 30 and overstayed the terms of his visa. Lame was granted voluntary departure June 6 and has since departed the U.S.,' ICE wrote. Khaby Lame Posts on Social Media After ICE Confirms Detaining Him first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 7, 2025
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
Who were Olivia, Evelyn and Paityn Decker? Community mourns amid manhunt
A Washington state community is grieving the deaths of three young sisters who police believe were killed by their father, whose whereabouts are unknown. Paityn Decker, 9; Evelyn Decker, 8; and Olivia Decker, 5, were reported missing by their mother on May 30 after failing to return from a planned visitation with their father, 32-year-old Travis Decker. Authorities found their bodies on June 2 near their father's unoccupied vehicle near the Rock Island Campground in Chelan County. Local, state and federal officials continue to search for Travis, who is wanted on charges of kidnapping, first-degree murder and custodial interference. Authorities released new photos and videos of the suspect and are asking for the public's help as the manhunt continues. Since the tragedy, the community of the Wenatchee Valley has rallied behind the girl's mother, Whitney Decker. A GoFundMe page has raised nearly $1 million in financial support for Whitney as of Thursday, June 5. "We ask for grace at this time. Whitney is grieving the unimaginable," said family friend Amy Edwards, who organized the GoFundMe page, at a news conference June 5. "When one mother cries, we all cry and hold her in our heart. Thank you for holding Whitney in your hearts now." Olivia Decker, 5; Evelyn Decker, 8; and Paityn Decker, 9 were three sisters in the Wenatchee Valley. In addition to playing sports and attending school in the city of Wenatchee, the three girls were involved in the local art scene through performance and dance. They performed at the Music Theatre of Wenatchee through a children's program known as "Short Shakespeareans" and practiced dance at the city's Fabulous Feet Dance Studio. Edwards, the director of the "Short Shakespeareans" program and whose daughter was on the dance team with Evelyn, said the community will forever ache with the love for the girls. "This valley helped nurture the creativity, confidence and joy that Paityn and Evelyn and Olivia shined so brightly," Edwards told reporters. "Their laughter, curiosity and spirit left a mark on all of us. They were the kind of children that everyone rooted for, looked for, looked forward to seeing and held close in their hearts. They are cherished, not just by the family, but by our entire community who watched them grow, perform, learn and love." Fellow organizer Mark Belton thanked the generosity shown for the family adding that "compassion has been a source of light in this dark hour." The Music Theatre of Wenatchee held a candlelight vigil on June 3 at Wenatchee's Memorial Park. Dozens of children attending the vigil knew the girls either through the dance program, sports or other programs, according to Seattle station KING-TV. "She was really nice. She was a really good dancer. I really think she was a really good friend," 8-year-old Lilly Jones, who danced with Evelyn, told the outlet. "I really miss her and I just think it was too early." Missy Jones, Lilly's mother, told the outlet she became friends with Whitney after meeting in college and reconnected last fall because of their daughters. "Those girls were her whole world. She did everything for them," Jones said. "Obviously it's hard. I've been really proud of the girls being really supportive of each other and giving each other hugs and talking about their memories of their friends." Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Community mourns deaths of Olivia, Evelyn, Paityn Decker amid search
