A family of a bullied 11-year-old boy from Ohio filed a federal lawsuit against Akron Public Schools alleging the district did nothing to help him but instead suspended him.
Abyesh Thulung tragically killed himself the first day of his suspension.
As the Signal reports, the lawsuit alleges the abuse was bad enough for Thulung to report to the nurse four times for physical injuries and the other times for headaches and stomach aches.
After those visits, “No investigation was initiated to hold the student(s) accountable,” the lawsuit reads.
“The family believes this was an avoidable tragedy if Akron Public Schools had just followed their bullying policies,” said Sean Sweeney, an attorney representing Abyesh’s parents, to Cleveland.com.
The Bhutanese family came to the United States from a refugee camp where the boy was born. The Akron Beacon Journal reports Hem Thulung and Kumari Gurung, Abyesh’s mother and father, along with Abyesh became citizens in 2023.
The lawsuit says the bullying included one boy who used anti-Asian slurs.
He attended National Inventors Hall of Fame STEM Middle School where it’s alleged the bullying started almost immediately after being enrolled.
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My heart goes out to the innocent young life that was destroyed. When my son was in a college preparatory high school he suffered a similar situation. At the then famous Lowell High School in San Francisco Ca. school administrators tried to dismiss a incident when a classmate of my son threatened to stab my son with a knife. The suspect and his father tried to justify the incidents as playful intimidation. The school administration did not want the school’s reputation damaged and agreed with the suspect. It was not until I demanded as my son’s father to have the suspect expelled from the school according to San Francisco Unified School Board regulations that they expelled that suspect student. I believe this type of incident will increase. What do you think?
On the first anniversary of his passing, may God bless all of Abyesh’s family and friends. May all of you heal, and may all of us who feel the loss honour his memory by treasuring each day, being kind, and trying to make our world a better place 💕