ELBA, Ala. (WDNews) — A federal lawsuit has been filed against the Elba City Board of Education and two former school principals, accusing them of failing to protect a 14-year-old student from severe bullying that allegedly led to the student’s death by suicide.
Carmeisha and Cory Williams, the parents of S.W., filed the suit Monday in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama. The civil complaint claims school officials showed “deliberate indifference” to years of harassment directed at S.W., a mixed-race student who identified as transgender and struggled with mental health issues.
According to the lawsuit, S.W. faced bullying from both students and teachers at Elba High School due to their race, gender identity, and mental health status. The complaint details that school administrators were repeatedly informed about the abuse but failed to act, even after S.W. was hospitalized for suicidal thoughts in April 2023.
The suit specifically names former principals Dr. Warren Weeks and Wynn Grimes. It alleges that Weeks, just one day before S.W.’s death, forcibly removed a hoodie from the student in front of classmates—exposing self-harm scars and leaving the student emotionally distraught and physically exposed.
S.W. died by suicide on August 9, 2023.
The complaint claims violations of federal civil rights laws, including Title IX, Title VI, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and constitutional protections under the 14th Amendment. It also includes state claims for battery and outrage.
The parents are seeking compensatory and punitive damages, along with a permanent injunction to require the school system to implement stronger anti-bullying policies and training.
The Elba City School District has not yet responded publicly to the lawsuit.
