Family of bullied gay teen who killed himself to sue Huntsville City Schools – AL.com
The family of an openly gay Huntsville City Schools student who took his own life in 2019 has announced plans to sue the school system for civil rights violations and wrongful death, according to a news release Monday.
The attorneys for the family of Nigel Shelby will be discussing the lawsuit at a news conference Tuesday.
Shelby was 14 when he died on April 18, 2019. His family said that Shelby took his own life because of being bullied because of his sexual orientation as well as depression.
“Fourteen-year-old Nigel Shelby was bullied by his peers for his race and sexual orientation, and when he sought help from school administrators, was told that his sexuality was his choice,” the news release said Monday. “School administrators did not alert Nigel’s parents of his struggles in school so that he could receive help from a licensed mental health professional. On April 18, 2019, Nigel Shelby died by suicide. Following his death, school administrators alerted Nigel’s mother to look for a suicide note in his backpack, revealing that they were aware of his plans to take his own life.”
Related: Nigel Shelby wasn’t a teen who died by suicide. ‘He was sunshine,’ mother says
Related: Bullying a ‘public crisis’ for LGBTQ students, advocates say after teen’s suicide
Related: Huntsville council remembers gay teen who took own life
Huntsville City Schools issued a statement last month saying it anticipated a lawsuit to be filed soon. The statement said the school system typically does not address active or pending litigation.
“However, the district wishes to remind students, families, and staff members of the longstanding resources in place to support students,” the statement said. “At the district level, pillar two of the district’s strategic plan is Whole Student Development. This pillar includes resources dedicated to supporting the social and emotional needs of students. These include feeder-pattern social workers, licensed mental health professionals, and frequent professional development for staff on topics including culturally responsive instruction; equity and inclusion; and suicide prevention.
“Consistent with the district’s Core Values, HHS has a strong Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) in place to provide support to LGBTQ+ students, and the district has partnered with GLSEN and the Anti-Defamation League to support its schools and students.”
The school system also encouraged students to speak with a trusted adult at their school if they are experiencing thoughts of suicide.
The family has retained renowned civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who will be speaking at the news conference along with co-counsel Jasmine Rand and Huntsville attorney Lynn Sherrod as well as Nigel’s parents Camika Shelby and Patrick Cruz and David Johns, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition.