The parents of a transgender teen, S.W., who died by suicide after being bullied, have sued the Elba City Board of Education in Alabama. The teen identified as gender-neutral and requested to be called Shane, facing intensified bullying after coming out. Teachers refused to honor S.W.'s name and pronouns. Despite a hospitalization for mental health issues linked to the harassment, school officials did not take appropriate action. The lawsuit claims a failure to provide bullying reporting forms as mandated by law, contributing to the teen's distress.
S.W. had been verbally harassed by white students since elementary school for being mixed-race, but following S.W.'s disclosure of a transgender identity, harassment only intensified.
Teachers refused to use S.W.'s preferred name or preferred pronouns, despite an absence of school policies precluding them from doing so.
Carmeisha Williams informed Grimes of S.W.'s mental health status and asked him to take action, but he made a conscious decision not to remedy the harassment.
Despite legal requirements, Grimes failed to provide the family with bullying reporting forms or inform them of their availability.
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