Settlement Reached In California Boy’s Suicide After Bullying

The mother of a Central California teenager who committed suicide after years of anti-gay bullying has reached a $750,000 settlement with her son’s school district.

Wendy Walsh, whose 13-year-old son, Seth, hanged himself in 2010, accused the Tehachapi Unified School District of failing to take adequate steps to stop her son from being harassed. U.S. Department of Education investigators agreed, saying the district southeast of Bakersfield did not adequately investigate or respond to the bullying.

The Bakersfield Californian reported the settlement was reached in March. Walsh initially sought more than $6 million. Her attorney, Daniel Rodriguez, says she took the reduced amount in part to avoid the trauma of a trial.

Tehachapi Unified Superintendent Lisa Gilbert says the district now requires bullying to be reported and investigated in a timely manner.