The Root; Published By Kalyn Womack
The Davis School District in Utah has agreed to pay $2 million in settlement to the family of Isabella “Izzy” Tichenor, a 10-year-old girl who died by suicide after being bullied. The settlement implies the district had no rebuttal to the allegations that their neglect allowed Tichenor to be tormented.
The suit alleged that the girl was the only Black student in her class at Foxboro Elementary School and was bullied not just for being Black but also for being autistic. She was called slurs and mocked for her skin color and the suit alleged teachers turned a blind eye to the behavior. Tichenor’s mother, Brittany Tichenor-Cox, aslo claimed the bullying caused her daughter to fail her classes.
When the district finally conducted an “independent” investigation into the concerns, the report found that the school didn’t acknowledge the district definition of bullying, fostered an environment where said bullying went unreported and that staff mistreated Izzy along with her peers, per AP News. The torment caused Tichenor to take her own life in November of 2021. Read more
