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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.
New York Post
28-04-2025
- New York Post
Boy, 11, kills himself after months of bullying and ‘embarrassment' from his own teacher who called him ‘stupid': lawsuit
An 11-year-old Florida boy took his own life following relentless bullying by his school teacher who repeatedly called him 'stupid,' a disturbing new lawsuit alleges. Louis Johnson, 11, shot himself 'after enduring months of bullying and public embarrassment' from fifth-grade teacher Donna White, according to the lawsuit filed by his parents against the Marion County School Board on April 21. White, a former teacher at Legacy Elementary School in Ocala, called Johnson 'stupid' and said he 'didn't know anything,' and also recruited other students to bully him, according to the wrongful death lawsuit documents, as seen by WCBJ. Advertisement '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 alleged. 4 Florida schoolboy Louis Johnson, 11, took his own life after being 'bullied' by a teacher, a lawsuit alleges. GoFundMe Johnson's parents repeatedly reported White's actions to the school and the school board, but they did nothing, according to the lawsuit. Advertisement White's actions caused Johnson to suffer from depression and anxiety, culminating in him attempting to take his own life on April 27, 2023, as per the court documents. Johnson died two days later in the hospital from his injuries, according to the Marion County Sheriff's Office. Johnson's parents handed out suicide prevention fliers in the school following their son's death, laying out more allegations against White. 4 Johnson shot himself using his parents' gun, dying two days later of his injuries. GoFundMe Advertisement The lawsuit names the teacher as Donna White, but the flyer produced by Johnson's parents, as well as school district records, list her as Dawn White. White started working in the school district in 2009, where she taught at Legacy Elementary, moving to other schools before returning to Legacy for a second spell as a fourth-grade teacher between 2017 and 2021 and a third and final spell between 2022 and 2023, the Ocala Star Banner reported at the time. The family moved to Ocala, an hour outside of Orlando, from Virginia shortly before Johnson's death. Their son had no behavioral problems and had been happy until he moved to Florida, Detective Nick Sutliff, who interviewed the parents at the time, told the Ocala Star Banner. Advertisement 4 Following their son's death, Johnson's parents handed out 'suicide prevention' leaflets accusing the teacher of causing their son's suicide. GoFundMe The couple own firearms which they kept in a combination gun safe locked in their master bedroom and to which their son didn't know the code, Sutliff said. But on April 27, Johnson's father, Louis Johnson Jr., had taken his son to work with him on his food truck, and when they arrived home, he placed the handgun, a 9mm Ruger, on the counter. While he was outside checking that his truck had power, he heard a gunshot, and rushed back in to see his son bleeding and called 911, Sutliff said. More than two dozen students were interviewed about White's behavior for an investigative report in June 2023, as reported by WCJB at the time. 4 Legacy Elementary School in Ocala did not renew the teacher's contract following a 2023 investigation. Google Maps White would get furious when students got answers wrong and sometimes reduced them to tears, according to the report. White's 'verbally insulting, humiliating, and embarrassing students' inflicted psychological distress on her victims, the report concluded. Advertisement Marion County Public Schools did not renew White's contract following the investigation. The school board did not respond immediately to The Post's requests for comment.
