The parents of a 16-year-old student who died by suicide in 2022 have reached a confidential settlement with the Landon School in Bethesda, Maryland, months before a wrongful death trial that was scheduled to begin in May.
Dawn and Scott Schnell, of McLean, Virginia, the parents of Charlie Schnell, filed the suit in January 2024 in Montgomery County Circuit Court. The parents named the highly-ranked school, its headmaster and three other administrators as defendants.
Court records show the claims against the school, as well as the individual employees, have been dismissed. WTOP is seeking comment from Landon School, and the attorney for the family.
The suit alleged the teen had transferred to Landon as a freshman, after enduring bullying at his previous school.
During his freshman year at Landon, he played football and lacrosse.
The suit details a series of traumatic events in his sophomore year, including the suicide of a classmate and close friend’s father, and the perceived threat of a fellow student to “shoot up” the school.
Schnell also suffered a concussion during wrestling practice, according to his parents’ lawsuit, filed by attorney Debra Soltis.
The 81-page suit cites an incident in the late fall of 2021, in which Charlie Schnell described himself as “tired,” “worried” and in “insane pain,” because of an ongoing tonsils ailment.
He also detailed his feelings and concerns about the potential of violence at Landon in an assignment, which was viewed by his English teacher.
I’m worried about the school shooting threats. I’ve run the scenario through my head and talked to my dad and advisor. They can’t even imagine because of the infrequency of school shootings at their age. If there were a shooting I wouldn’t want to run and leave all my friends but I also wouldn’t want to get shot so it’s very contradicting. So right now I would sum everything up to being tired, in pain, hopeful and worried.
In March of 2022, less than six weeks after his concussion, the suit said the teen “made a mistake” and muttered a profanity under his breath at a coach during lacrosse practice.
As the school’s disciplinary committee deliberated about possible consequences for the lacrosse incident, the suit said a Black student at Landon, who was a friend of Charlie Schnell, reported to an administrator that Schnell, who was white, had shown him a racist picture.
By the next day, “rumors of the alleged drawing had spread like wildfire throughout the school (including to its faculty), and there was tangible and explicit animus as well as threats being expressed by Landon students” toward Schnell.
Schnell’s parents said the school hadn’t advised them of the allegation concerning the drawing, or growing anger against and ostracization of their son.
According to the suit, on March 27, 2022, Schnell, “who had just 13 days earlier been forced to withdraw from the Landon School, took down his Landon banner from above his bed, made it into a noose and hanged himself.”
The suit includes several studies that describe trauma, bullying and concussions as elements that raise the risk of suicide. In addition, the suit alleges the school didn’t have a written policy that bullying allegations required a prompt investigation, or effective suicide prevention or intervention programs.
If you or someone you know is going through a mental health crisis, call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988Lifeline.org.
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