‘Bullied til her last day alive’: Mother sues CCSD after child repeatedly harrased dies by suicide

A mother is suing the Clark County School District, alleging that “persistent bullying” led to her middle schooler’s death by suicide, according to a complaint filed on Tuesday.

Alice Martinez, represented by attorney Robery Vannah, stated in the lawsuit that her daughter, Flora, was 12 years old and attending Keller Middle School in 2023 when she became the target of ongoing and increasing harassment and emotional abuse at the hands of other students.

When Martinez reported the issues to school officials, she was “met with indifference,” the complaint said. According to the lawsuit, the bullying was so severe that, only a few months into the school year, Martinez submitted paperwork to have Flora transferred to another school, but her request was quickly denied.

“Rather than taking effective remedial or protective action, as required by Nevada law and by Defendant CCSD’s own anti-bullying policies, certain school employees ignored, minimized, and exacerbated the harassment that Flora endured,” Vannah wrote in court documents. “Flora’s pleas for help were disregarded or, in some instances, met with dismissive or retaliatory responses by School officials, thereby fostering a culture of violence and deliberate indifference to student safety.”

In the lawsuit, Vannah argued that CCSD was negligent in enforcing anti-bullying statutes. He stated that, because the school district was aware of the bullying, Flora’s suffering was foreseeable and could have been prevented.

As a result of the district’s “failure to protect” the girl, Flora experienced emotional distress, which led to her death on May 7, 2024, according to the lawsuit.

A fundraiser later posted by Martinez said that the girl died just before the family was supposed to have dinner that night.

“Keller Middle School did nothing to stop the bullying, the abuse, the pain,” Martinez wrote for the GoFundMe, which raised nearly $13,000. “Our baby was bullied from the second week of school til her last day alive.”

The school district was “unable to comment on pending litigation,” a spokesperson said in an emailed statement Thursday.

“However, our thoughts remain with the family and friends of this student,” the statement said. “The safety and well-being of every student is one of our highest priorities, and we are deeply saddened by this loss of a member of our school community.”

The Las Vegas Review-Journal previously reported that bullying in the school district has been an issue. The school district saw 10,000 instances of bullying and nearly 2,000 instances of cyberbullying in the 2023-2024 school year.

Over the past year, other middle school parents have brought complaints against CCSD, also alleging that constant and unaddressed bullying resulted in the hospitalization of their children.

In 2014, Jason and Jennifer Lamberth filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the school district after their 13-year-old daughter, Hailee, was repeatedly victimized by bullies at White Middle School and also died by suicide. Court records show that, in 2019, the case was dismissed after the family and CCSD reached an agreement to settle for an undisclosed amount.

If you’re thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, help is available 24/7 by calling or texting the Lifeline network at 988. Live chat is available at 988lifeline.org.

Contact Akiya Dillon at adillon@reviewjournal.com.