Family of teen who killed himself reaches agreement with school

Family of teen who killed himself reaches agreement with school

(Courtesy Granite School District)


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TAYLORSVILLE — The family of a teen who killed himself outside a junior high school in 2012 announced a settlement with the school district Monday.

The Phan family filed complaints with the Granite School District and private parties in the wake of their son's 2012 death.

"I think that we see this as a very positive first step and continuing step," said John Mejia, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah.

On Nov. 29, 2012, David Phan, 14, killed himself on an overpass near Bennion Junior High, 6055 S. 2700 West.

Phan's parents believe bullying played a factor in his death.

Part of the agreement requires the Granite School District to modify, clarify and update its policies, said Mejia, who represented the Phan family in the district case. Attorney Adam Ford represented the family in private claims that were also settled.

The amount of the settlements was not disclosed.

The family and district were focused on trying to make sure other students and families do not go through this same experience, according to Doug Larson, who handles policy and legal services for Granite School District.

Suicide prevention resources
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, KSL encourages you to call the suicide prevention hotline at 1-800-273-TALK.

Crisis Hotlines

  • Utah County Crisis Line: 801-226- 4433
  • Wasatch Mental Health Crisis Line: 801-373- 7393
  • National Crisis Line: 1-800-784-2433
  • Trevor Project Hotline for LGBTQ teens: 1- 866-488-7386

Online resources

"It's been a long process … (the Phans) have such a tragic and unfortunate position to be in, but at the same time, they've given us incredible insight that's very practical in nature," so the district can improve its practices and policies, Larson said. "They have been extremely gracious in kind of helping us along in making some improvements."

Although the school had a policy to report bullying to parents at the time of David's death, they did not have a "reporting mechanism" or a mandate to maintain records of bullying reports, Larson said. This has since been fixed, he said.

Another part of the settlement involved the district entering into an agreement with Equity Assistance Center, Region VIII, so the center could review district policies and recommend further improvements if necessary, Mejia said.

The school district will also continue to work with the ACLU and the Phan family in the future, Mejia said.

"(The Phan family) wanted to make sure that all students felt served equally and were being treated equally regardless of their sexual orientation, or their race, and so on," Mejia said.

Granite School District representatives were not immediately available for comment Monday.

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