Latest news with #LegacyElementarySchool
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Yahoo
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.
International Business Times
29-04-2025
- International Business Times
Louis Johnson: 11-Year-Old Dies by Suicide after Being Repeatedly Bullied and Humiliated by His Fifth-Grade Teacher, Lawsuit Claims
An 11-year-old boy from Florida died by suicide after being repeatedly bullied by his schoolteacher, who allegedly also mocked him by calling him "stupid," according to a new lawsuit. Louis Johnson endured months of humiliation and bullying from his fifth-grade teacher, Donna White, before he shot himself, according to the bombshell lawsuit filed on April 21 by the boy's parents against the Marion County School Board. The lawsuit alleges that White, who had earlier taught at Legacy Elementary School in Ocala, regularly insulted Louis by saying he was "stupid" and "didn't know anything." She also allegedly instigated other students to join in the bullying, according to documents obtained by WCBJ. Bullied to Death "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 told Johnson, the lawsuit alleges. The lawsuit claims that Johnson's parents repeatedly alerted the school and the school board about White's behavior, but no action was taken. White's behavior resulted in Johnson suffering form depression and anxiety, ultimately forcing him to attempt suicide on April 27, 2023, according to court filings. He died two days later in the hospital due to his injuries, the Marion County Sheriff's Office confirmed . After their son's death, Johnson's parents distributed suicide prevention leaflets at the school, which included more accusations against White. While the lawsuit identifies the teacher as Donna White, both the flyers shared by the family and school district documents refer to her as Dawn White. White began her career in the school district in 2009, teaching at Legacy Elementary before moving to other schools. She later returned to Legacy for a second time as a fourth-grade teacher between 2017 and 2021 and again for a final term from 2022 to 2023, according to the Ocala Star Banner. The Johnson family had relocated to Ocala, about an hour from Orlando, from Virginia shortly before the tragedy. Detective Nick Sutliff, who spoke to the family, told the Ocala Star Banner that their son had no prior behavioral issues and had been a happy child before moving to Florida. Killed a Normal Child Sutliff said that the couple owned firearms, which were stored in a locked combination gun safe in their master bedroom—a code their son did not know. However, on April 27, Johnson's father, Louis Johnson Jr., had taken his son along to work on his food truck. When they returned home, he left his 9mm Ruger handgun on the kitchen counter. He then went outside to check if the truck had power when he heard a gunshot. He rushed back to find his son wounded and immediately called 911, Sutliff said. According to WCJB, more than 20 students were interviewed in June 2023 as part of an investigation into White's conduct. The report mentions that White often got furious when students gave incorrect answers and, at times, reduced them to tears. It concluded that her behavior—marked by verbal insults, humiliation, and public embarrassment—caused emotional harm to the students involved. Following the investigation, Marion County Public Schools decided not to renew White's contract.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Funding now fully secured for construction of new Uvalde elementary school
Editor's Note: The above video is KXAN's previous coverage of design renderings for Legacy Elementary School in Uvalde. UVALDE, Texas (KXAN) — Nearly three years after the tragedy of the Uvalde school shooting, the community has reached a milestone in the process of moving forward. Leaders announced Tuesday morning the costs of the physical building and construction of the new elementary school are now fully funded. New Uvalde elementary school approved, construction planning begins Legacy Elementary School will replace Robb Elementary, which was closed permanently after 19 students and two teachers died in the mass shooting in May 2022. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on the construction site of the new school in October 2023, and construction began in February 2024. The construction of Legacy Elementary School is expected to be fully completed this fall, and the nonprofit foundation responsible for raising the funding is continuing to raise funds for other campus and district needs beyond the physical construction. The Uvalde CISD Moving Forward Foundation, which was created to support the construction of the new school, announced that a recent combined investment of $21 million marked the final portion of funding needed to cover the costs of the building and construction of the school, according to a release from the nonprofit. Renderings of new Uvalde school include tribute to Robb Elementary victims 'Getting to the point of being within six months of the campus being ready for use has been quite a feat that would not have been possible without the support of so many funders and supporters,' said Tim Miller, executive director of the Uvalde CISD Moving Forward Foundation. 'We are asking that more people join us on this journey of hope and healing for the Uvalde community and support our 'Hope Blooms in Uvalde' campaign through which we are still working toward meeting a $5 million match challenge.' The $21 million investment came from Chase, Empowerment Reinvestment Fund, National Community Investment Fund, and Nonprofit Finance Fund. The investments were made through New Markets Tax Credits (NMTCs), a federal program designed to encourage private investment in underserved areas, the release said. The release noted that an initial round of investment through NMTCs to the Legacy Elementary School project was made in December. That round totaled a combined investment of $24.5 million made by Chase, Prestamos CDFI, a division of Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC), and Raza Development Fund. Renderings of the school that were released in April 2023 included a tribute to the 21 victims who were killed in the shooting. The proposed tribute is a tree, designed with two large branches to represent the teachers and 19 smaller branches to represent the students who lost their lives. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
