A mother filed a case against the Lenoir City School District, alleging that school staff failed to protect her daughter, Lexi, from bullying, harassment, and a suicide-related threat during a school softball game.
She claims that multiple staff members ignored her daughter’s report of a message telling her to “kill yourself.
Moreover, she argues this inaction violated Tennessee law, district policies, and Lexi’s federally protected rights under her Section 504 plan.
Lenoir City School Ignored Suicide Threat, Leaving Student Vulnerable To Bullying!
On Facebook, Trish Litton shared a detailed post highlighting serious concerns originally reported by Lexi’s mother, Patricia Litton.
The post is about the safety and well-being of her daughter during a school softball game at Lenoir City Intermediate/Middle School.
Patricia reported that on September 8th, Lexi received a message from another student telling her to “kill yourself.”
Lexi, who has ADHD and a Section 504 plan, reported the message to the assistant softball coach, who dismissed her concerns instead of escalating the report.
The following day, Lexi tried to report the threat to the principal, but the principal’s secretary redirected her to the ISS teacher, who did not take action.
No administrators were notified, no investigation was conducted, and no safety measures were implemented, despite the school staff having recently completed bullying and suicide-prevention training.
In the post, Trish Litton highlighted the systemic failures originally detailed by Patricia Litton, including multiple violations of Tennessee law.
Patricia described how three trained adults, the assistant softball coach, the principal’s secretary, and the ISS teacher, failed to respond appropriately to a life-threatening message.
She further highlighted that after discovering the message herself, she was met with dismissive responses from staff and the School Resource Officer.
Patricia also outlined a troubling escalation among students in a group chat, where multiple peers expressed self-harm.
She concluded by requesting a full administrative investigation, written disciplinary action for the involved staff, immediate retraining on suicide-threat response and bullying protocols, and a systemic review to prevent future negligence.
Moreover, she stressed,
My daughter deserved better. Other children deserved better. This cannot happen again. So, how do I get this to the school board since the superintendent doesn’t want to speak with me!
The above post has gained support and concern from the community. Commenters shared their perspectives, highlighting their frustration and sympathy.
One person wrote,
If no one listens, you may have to contact Don Dare to get everyone’s attention. Praying for Lexi and all the other children. It breaks my heart!
Another person said,
Trish Litton I feel the pain and frustration. I brought up bullying and racism to school and district but here in SC they seem to sweep it under the rug. Just remind Lexi school is but a blip on the radar of her life. Can’t fix stupid dumb arses—this will make her a stronger person and aware of the crap that is in life.
A third commenter urged legal and media action, saying,
Sounds like attorney time and send it to the news stations! These actions are very serious and multiple children over the course of time have been affected, and who knows how many more incidents have been swept under the rug! Keep fighting for Lexi and all these babies! We all have your back! It’s sad they won’t take any form of accountability for their mistakes!
This case highlights serious concerns about school accountability, student safety, and the urgent need for systematic changes to protect children.
