ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – According to the attorney for Autumn Bushman’s family, Bill Stanley, Roanoke County Public Schools says the district is not responsible for the 10-year-old’s suicide.
The Mountain View Elementary student’s death earlier this year sparked grief, outrage and renewed calls for bullying reform.
Autumn died by suicide in March, after what her family says was ongoing bullying at school.
Attorney and State Senator Bill Stanley, who is representing the Bushman family, tells 10 News he recently obtained school records indicating Autumn was in distress just weeks before she died. One form, filled out by Autumn and dated March 5 — 16 days before her death — outlines that she wanted help dealing with friends, her feelings, other students, and her own choices.
According to Stanley, the school never informed Autumn’s parents about the form or her request for help.
“I’m a little alarmed that they would come out this early and try to say ‘We didn’t do anything wrong.’ When, in fact, the evidence demonstrates—in their own file—that they may not have done enough or at least even the minimum required to protect this young lady,” Stanley said in a phone interview.
He criticized the district’s internal findings as ‘premature’ and ‘reckless.’
“What concerns me is the school is trying to absolve itself from any blame or guilt and it’s doing so in a conclusory fashion without a real deep dive into the facts,” said Stanley. “They’re just protecting themselves. And quite frankly, I think that is reckless behavior on their part.”
Stanley said the Bushman family is still weighing legal options. No lawsuit has been filed yet, but he says the family has until September to take legal action.
“If we find that there is negligence on behalf of the school system, then we’re going to do what we can to protect this family’s rights,” Stanley said.
Autumn’s story has sparked a public outcry across the Roanoke Valley and led to renewed scrutiny of the school district’s bullying prevention policies.
Stanley says he also plans to draft legislation to make sure this never happens again.
“We have to stop [bullying] in our schools,” said Stanley. “We can’t sit by and do nothing. The time for action is now and we have to do it so that there is not another tragedy like we’ve seen with Autumn Bushman.”
The Roanoke County Police Department and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner are still investigating the circumstances surrounding her death.
10 News obtained search warrants that detail police are also looking at evidence from two cellphones, both belonging to Autumn, collected after her death.
The documents reveal that investigators learned Autumn was on a school bus and opened an app with a “live communication with an unknown male” who then “exposed and fondled” his genitals.
Police state that the “cell phones are an important piece of evidence both for the death and the possible contributing to the delinquency of a minor.”
Stanley tells me Autumn informed her grandmother of that incident. He says he agrees that it’s important for police to look at evidence on the phones, especially for any evidence of cyber bullying.
Although he wondered how closely the school district may try to link that incident to Autumn’s death, “The question is does the school say ‘Well that’s the reason she committed suicide.’? If they do, it’s a very shallow analysis to come to that conclusion.”
“Everybody needs to take a deep breath, take a step back and find some accountability in this,” Stanley said.
Roanoke County Public Schools has previously stated:
“While we cannot discuss the specifics of this situation due to federal privacy laws and out of respect for the family, we are conducting a thorough review. Our schools take all reports of bullying and conflicts among students very seriously. Our schools educate students and respond appropriately to specific situations when we are made aware, including working with parents and families of students involved. We care deeply about our students, and our staff works hard to do what they can to support students and families.”
WSLS 10 News will continue to follow this developing story and bring you updates on-air and online at WSLS.com.