California school district pays $27M to settle suit over teen’s death by fellow students.
Southern California School District to Pay $27 Million in Settlement for Eighth Grade Boy’s Death
In a tragic incident that occurred four years ago, the Moreno Valley Unified School District has reached a settlement of $27 million with the family of Diego Stolz, an eighth-grade boy who lost his life after being assaulted by two fellow students at Landmark Middle School. The announcement of the settlement was made by the family’s lawyers on Wednesday.
The incident took place in September 2019 when one of the assailants sucker-punched Diego from behind, causing him to fall and hit his head against a pillar. The attack was captured on video, and despite Diego’s brave fight, he succumbed to a brain injury nine days later. It was a devastating loss that could have been prevented.
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Dave Ring, the attorney representing the Stolz family, emphasized that this tragedy could have been avoided if the school had implemented an anti-bullying policy. He stated, “Schools need to realize that bullying can never be tolerated and that any complaints of bullying and assault must be taken seriously.”
The district spokesperson, Anahi Velasco, declined to comment on the settlement. However, the district had previously made changes to its bullying reporting system and provided additional training for employees. Furthermore, the principal and vice principal of the school were replaced.
The wrongful-death lawsuit filed by the Stolz family alleged that Diego had reported the bullying to the assistant principal prior to the fatal assault.
The two assailants, who were 14 years old at the time, pleaded guilty in juvenile court to involuntary manslaughter and assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury. They were sentenced to 47 days in juvenile custody and were also ordered to undergo anger management therapy.
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