US school district agrees to pay $27 million in settlement after 13-yr-old boy killed by bullies
Moreno Valley (California): The family of 13-year-old Diego Stolz, who tragically lost his life in a lunchtime attack by two fellow students, is set to receive a $27 million settlement from a Southern California school district, media reports said.
This landmark settlement marks the largest school bullying settlement in U.S. history, said the family's legal representatives.
Diego, a student at Landmark Middle School in Moreno Valley, California, was struck in the head on September 16, 2019, by two male students.
The blow caused him to fall, hitting his head on a concrete pillar and resulting in a severe brain injury. Tragically, Diego never regained consciousness and passed away nine days later, reported CNN.
Juana and Felipe Salcedo, Diego Stolz's guardians, filed a lawsuit against the Moreno Valley Unified School District after his tragic death in September 2019.
They alleged that officials had disregarded multiple complaints they made in 2018 and 2019 to administrators at Landmark Middle School regarding Diego's bullying.
The Salcedos had become his guardians following the passing of both of his parents. The case reached a settlement on Wednesday, as per NBC News.
According to Fox News, two boys, aged 14, but 13 at the time of the incident, have pleaded guilty to charges of manslaughter and assault in juvenile court. A judge in Riverside County sentenced them to 47 days in jail, along with community service and therapy.
"Diego was, by all accounts, the sweetest, nicest kid you could ever meet. When the bullies confronted him yet again (for no good reason), Diego put his hands to his sides because he was told to never fight at school. The two bullies sucker-punched him and killed him," his attorneys wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
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