School Violence Expert Witnesses Discuss Bullying Victim Suicide

Case Overview

This claim involves a teenage girl who committed suicide after experiencing repeated bullying at her high school in Maine. There were numerous incidents of bullying documented by the schools administration, however, despite knowledge by senior school administrators that the bullying was taking place, little action was taken to rectify the situation. It was alleged that the school failed to take appropriate action to stop or prevent the bullying, and that the ongoing bullying directly contributed to the girl’s suicide.

Questions to the Psychiatry expert and their responses

Have you ever served as an expert witness on a claim involving bullying or suicide?

Adolescent psychology as it relates to bullying and suicide is my specialty, and I have served as an expert on a number of cases similar to this with great success.

Do you routinely treat or work with young adults who are depressed and subjected to bullying at school?

I have plenty of hands-on experience at some of the country's most prestigious medical institutions treating young adults subjected to bullying at schools, and can speak to this individual’s brain development and coping ability as it relates to bullying, as well as their proclivity to commit suicide.

About the expert

This board certified psychiatrist/neurologist completed residency training in psychiatry at NYU Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital and fellowship training in psychiatric epidemiology at UCLA School of Public Health. She is a member of numerous prestigious societies in the psychiatry field, has authored more than 9 publications on psychiatry, and has spoken and testified on a number of psychiatric subjects. Currently, this expert is the staff psychiatrist and assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at a major west coast medical institution.