Nationwide — In Ocala, Florida, the mother and father of 10-year-old Louis Johnson III, referred to as “LJ,” have filed a wrongful demise lawsuit in opposition to the Marion County College Board, practically two years after their son’s tragic demise by suicide. Tyka Johnson and Louis Johnson Jr. allege within the lawsuit, filed on April 21, 2025, that their son was relentlessly bullied by his fifth-grade trainer at Legacy Elementary College, resulting in extreme melancholy and nervousness. The lawsuit accuses the trainer, listed as Donna White in court docket paperwork however recognized at school information as Daybreak White, of humiliating LJ in entrance of his friends and inspiring classmates to hitch within the bullying.
Based on WCJB, the mother and father declare that White constantly insulted LJ, calling him “silly” and telling him he “didn’t know something” throughout class. Based on the lawsuit, White would typically mock LJ in entrance of different college students and encourage them to agree along with her, additional isolating the younger boy. They allege that regardless of their repeated complaints to highschool officers about White’s conduct, no corrective motion was taken, in the end permitting the psychological abuse to proceed unchecked. The household is demanding a trial by jury for all points associated to their claims.
Following LJ’s demise on April 27, 2023, his mother and father returned to Legacy Elementary College to distribute “Suicide Prevention” flyers, which detailed the allegations in opposition to White. In a subsequent investigation accomplished in June 2023, greater than two dozen college students — together with twelve who shared a classroom with LJ — had been interviewed about White’s conduct. Many described her as scary and reported that she would typically make college students cry, ridicule them for fallacious solutions, and publicly focus on their grades, making a hostile classroom surroundings.
The investigation in the end concluded that White had chronically inflicted psychological misery on college students by verbal insults, humiliation, and embarrassment. Consequently, the Marion County College Board selected to not renew her contract. Nevertheless, the Johnson household asserts that the college board’s preliminary inaction following their complaints constituted negligence, straight contributing to their son’s emotional deterioration and tragic demise.
Past their authorized actions, LJ’s household additionally launched a GoFundMe marketing campaign to assist cowl medical and funeral bills. Remembering LJ’s vibrant spirit, the household shared that he liked spending time on the seashore, catching crabs, experimenting with TikTok recipes, and advocating for the homeless. “He was a much-loved son, brother, uncle, and buddy,” they wrote. “For these of you who knew him, you had been the fortunate ones. He would gentle up any room together with his infectious smile.”
As of Monday, a consultant for the Marion County College Board had not responded to requests for remark relating to the lawsuit or the allegations in opposition to White. The case shines a harsh gentle on the rising considerations surrounding faculty bullying and the accountability of academic establishments to guard weak college students.
