LOGAN – When a Logan High School student committed suicide in May 2023, reportedly as a result of repeated bullying, other students expressed concerns about the district’s handling of bullying and student mental health issues, prompting the Uvalde Foundation for Kids, a Texas-based non-profit dedicated to ending school violence, to launch an investigation into the case.
The Foundation’s involvement ended after less than two weeks, when it announced that, while school officials may have done more to prevent the suicide of 15-year-old Brice Butcher, there was no “ongoing individual negligence.”
Butcher’s mother has now filed a lawsuit against the high school, Logan-Hocking Local School District, the school board, and a former assistant principle in connection with her son’s murder.
The district has published a public statement in response to the case, claiming that it does not adequately depict all of the facts surrounding the student’s death.
In her civil complaint filed Tuesday in Hocking County Common Pleas Court, plaintiff Karianna Butcher describes Brice Butcher’s death as a “absolutely preventable” tragedy.
“Brice Lee Butcher took his life after being bullied by other school children,” one woman claims. “He was profoundly upset and expressed thoughts of self-harm.
Other kids, including one of their parents, informed Logan High School officials that they were concerned about Brice injuring himself. However, none of the defendants did anything.
Karianna Butcher describes the factual background of the case, claiming that her son had been bullied and abused verbally, physically, and online by pupils in the district for around three years, from seventh grade until his death. This allegedly included being told, “Go kill yourself.”
According to the complaint, the student’s reaction to the bullying included fighting and attempting to avoid class. He also allegedly told other pupils that he was depressed and thinking about suicide, and yelled that he was going to kill himself once in art class.
According to the complaint, three students and the mother of one of these students reported to high school Assistant Principal Shari Boggs — named as the fourth defendant in the suit — that Brice Butcher was being bullied and discussing suicide, but Boggs “did nothing with this information,” failing to report it to school counselors, law enforcement, Children Services, or even Karianna Butcher.
The suit claims that four days before his death on May 1, 2023, three district students jumped Brice at Logan’s East Park, and that this attack was “captured on video and spread widely on social media over the next few days.”
According to the lawsuit, Boggs resigned from her employment at the end of the school year.
The case alleges wrongful death, survivorship, a breach of a state law requiring the reporting of child abuse or neglect, and vicarious culpability.
It seeks at least $25,000 in damages, but also states that it is “intended to offer some justice” to Brice Butcher’s family “for defendants’ flagrant disregard for their duties,” as well as “to serve as a learning opportunity for defendants and others in comparable positions to implement proper procedures to prevent such tragedies from occurring.”
Logan-Hocking Schools Superintendent Christy Bosch issued a public statement expressing the district’s “deepest sympathies to the family and friends affected by this tragic loss.” The passing of a young person is devastating, and our thoughts are with everyone who knew Brice.
The statement goes on to say, “We must clarify that the allegations made in the complaint do not reflect the facts as we understand them.” The district has a robust anti-bullying policy and takes every incident of bullying seriously.”
Due to federal and state confidentiality rules, especially those protecting student privacy, Bosch states in the statement, “we are unable to provide further specific information at this time.”
However, these charges will be vigorously refuted through the proper legal channels, and we remain confidence in the integrity of our employees and the policies in place.
As this case moves forward, we will continue to fully cooperate with the legal process while remaining committed to supporting the well-being of our children and school community.”
Within months of Butcher’s death, the district announced the commencement of a major program to build more resources to address suicide and student mental health issues, improve public awareness of existing resources, and expand opportunities for student and family participation.
If you are in trouble, please phone, text, or chat with the Suicide and trouble Lifeline at 988.
