Bullying from students, coach, principals led to teen's suicide, family claims in lawsuit

MT. PLEASANT, Sanpete County — The family of a Sanpete County teenager who committed suicide in 2010 is suing their son's school district for wrongful death, alleging negligence and harassment on the part of district officials.

Bradd and Edna Hancock filed the suit in federal court in Salt Lake City earlier this month on behalf of their son, Jacob. In it, they name the North Sanpete School District, the North Sanpete School Board, Sanpete County Sheriff Brian Nielson, and various district, school and school board officials.

The boy was harassed and bullied beginning in the eighth grade, when he was called various names and assaulted by a group of high school students, the lawsuit claims. The middle school principal said all students involved would be referred to juvenile court, but the Hancocks say they were told that if their son was involved in another altercation, he would be the one who was expelled.

"(Jacob) now had no way out of the situation or how to escape the bullying," the lawsuit states.

The teenagers continued to harass Jacob for 1 ½ years "and the school district did not take any significant measures to stop the bullying and harassment," the family claims. The boy's health declined, prompting him to lash out at others, suffer a mental breakdown and be placed on suicide watch.

"(Jacob) feared for his mental and physical safety each time he went to school and the school district was indifferent to these experiences and allowed them to continue," according to the lawsuit

When the boy entered North Sanpete High School in ninth grade, the harassment worsened, with one student repeatedly telling Jacob that he was going to kill him, the lawsuit states. When the Hancocks brought this to the attention of school principal John Erickson, Erickson allegedly said the teens should fight because that's how things were settled in the past.

"Again, the school district's handling of the harassment and bullying was to sweep it under the rug and pretend like it would just go away," the family says in the suit.

At a certain point, the teen began to have difficulties sleeping and became "increasingly agitated and he was fearful for his life." The lawsuit claims the school district's solution to the problem was to allow it to go on until the boy was suicidal, including a 2008 attempt of which the school district was aware.