An 11-year-old boy from Florida died by suicide after being repeatedly bullied by his schoolteacher, who allegedly also mocked him by calling him "stupid," according to a new lawsuit.
Louis Johnson endured months of humiliation and bullying from his fifth-grade teacher, Donna White, before he shot himself, according to the bombshell lawsuit filed on April 21 by the boy's parents against the Marion County School Board. The lawsuit alleges that White, who had earlier taught at Legacy Elementary School in Ocala, regularly insulted Louis by saying he was "stupid" and "didn't know anything." She also allegedly instigated other students to join in the bullying, according to documents obtained by WCBJ.
Bullied to Death
"I don't know why you're talking because you don't even know anything. You don't know nothing in this class. Isn't that right, kids?" White told Johnson, the lawsuit alleges. The lawsuit claims that Johnson's parents repeatedly alerted the school and the school board about White's behavior, but no action was taken.
White's behavior resulted in Johnson suffering form depression and anxiety, ultimately forcing him to attempt suicide on April 27, 2023, according to court filings. He died two days later in the hospital due to his injuries, the Marion County Sheriff's Office confirmed .
After their son's death, Johnson's parents distributed suicide prevention leaflets at the school, which included more accusations against White. While the lawsuit identifies the teacher as Donna White, both the flyers shared by the family and school district documents refer to her as Dawn White.
White began her career in the school district in 2009, teaching at Legacy Elementary before moving to other schools. She later returned to Legacy for a second time as a fourth-grade teacher between 2017 and 2021 and again for a final term from 2022 to 2023, according to the Ocala Star Banner.
The Johnson family had relocated to Ocala, about an hour from Orlando, from Virginia shortly before the tragedy. Detective Nick Sutliff, who spoke to the family, told the Ocala Star Banner that their son had no prior behavioral issues and had been a happy child before moving to Florida.
Killed a Normal Child
Sutliff said that the couple owned firearms, which were stored in a locked combination gun safe in their master bedroom—a code their son did not know. However, on April 27, Johnson's father, Louis Johnson Jr., had taken his son along to work on his food truck.
When they returned home, he left his 9mm Ruger handgun on the kitchen counter.
He then went outside to check if the truck had power when he heard a gunshot. He rushed back to find his son wounded and immediately called 911, Sutliff said.
According to WCJB, more than 20 students were interviewed in June 2023 as part of an investigation into White's conduct. The report mentions that White often got furious when students gave incorrect answers and, at times, reduced them to tears.
It concluded that her behavior—marked by verbal insults, humiliation, and public embarrassment—caused emotional harm to the students involved. Following the investigation, Marion County Public Schools decided not to renew White's contract.
