Parents of a 16-year-old boy who died by suicide filed a wrongful death lawsuit against his school, alleging administrators and staff didn’t do enough to protect their son.
Charlie Schnell had a smile that could light up a room, according to his parents, Dawn and Scott Schnell. He loved sports, his friends and his family.
They didn’t know how much he’d been suffering until March 2022 when he died by suicide.
“Every day, I wake up, and he dies again,” Scott Schnell said. “There’s not a day that we don’t think of him, that I don’t think of him.”
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After his death, his parents say, they learned painful details of what he’d gone through at the Landon School in Bethesda, Maryland.
“Landon failed Charlie so many times through the sophomore year,” Dawn Schnell said. “Sophomore year was hell.”
In the lawsuit against Landon, the Schnells say Charlie got a concussion at sports practice and a school dean mocked him for it in front of other students.
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The Schnells also say Charlie dealt with extreme bullying and threats of violence after a classmate accused him of making a racist drawing. According to the Schnells, Charlie never got a chance to respond to the accusation.
He also faced discipline for a separate incident and was given the choice to either withdraw or be expelled, with no option for appeal, his parents say. He chose to withdraw.
He died 13 days later.
“Our biggest mistake was sending Charlie to Landon,” Dawn Schnell said.
“If I could do one thing in my life over, it would be not sending him there,” Scott Schnell said.
In addition, the Schnells say a classmate’s father had recently died by suicide and the school allegedly didn’t offer adequate grief support.
They also say another student had threatened a mass shooting and Charlie wrote a journal entry saying he was worried. The Schnells say his English teacher read it, but she allegedly never informed them Charlie was struggling.
“There was fear across that campus, and the boys were not supported to be able to process that fear,” Dawn Schnell said.
The Schnells are asking for more than $75,000 and changes at the school, including a certified school counselor, annual antibullying training for the staff, a more effective suicide prevention program, and a policy for the school to promptly notify parents of bullying incidents and to investigate.
“We want his valuable life to protect other children from schools who do not fulfill their duty of care,” Dawn Schnell said.
The Landon school sent news4 a statement, saying, “At Landon, we have no higher duty than supporting the well-being of our boys, a role we take very seriously. We continue to feel only compassion for the grief that this family is experiencing over the devastating loss of their son. And while we strongly disagree with the claims and characterizations made in their lawsuit, we will continue to navigate this situation with respect, compassion and sensitivity.”
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The Landon School also said it has “experienced and compassionate school counselors on staff.” The school did not specifically respond to any of the other allegations listed in the suit.
The Schnells say they also have a message for other kids who may be struggling.
“Just please know that they are owed protection from bullies and support from adults and to please ask for what they deserve,” Dawn Schnell said.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.
