Parents file wrongful death lawsuit after daughter, 11, dies by suicide after 'severe and pervasive bullying'

WARNING: This story contains disturbing details about suicide and alleged sexual assault.

JENNINGS COUNTY, Ind.—The parents of an 11-year-old girl who died by suicide have filed a wrongful death lawsuit alleging the school district failed to address “severe and pervasive bullying.”

Brooklyn Cook, a 5^th grader in the Jennings County School Corporation, died by suicide on February 17, 2025.

Her parents, Benjamin and Sarah Cook, filed a wrongful death lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana on Tuesday.

The complaint details accounts from the 2024-2025 school year in which students repeatedly told Brooklyn to kill herself, physically groped her at school, and sent abusive messages.

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“On multiple occasions, male students inappropriately touched Brooklyn’s body without her consent,” read the lawsuit. “Examples of the male students’ verbal harassment included, but were not limited to, telling Brooklyn that she smelled, calling her “Megamind”, laughing at her, calling her fat and ridiculing her in the presence of others. The male students repeatedly told Brooklyn that she needed to kill herself.”

The lawsuit says several of Brooklyn’s friends tried to look out for her and reported the allegations.

According to the complaint, one friend showed a guidance counselor a text message in which a male student told Brooklyn, “f*ck you, kill yourself, I f*cking hope you die in a shit show you dumb f*cking whore.”

Her parents allege Brooklyn was the victim of“severe and pervasive bullying, sexual harassment, and sexual touching by male classmates."

Brooklyn's parents allege these incidents were reported numerous times by Brooklyn, her friends, and staff to North Vernon Elementary School teachers, counselors, and administrators in the Jennings County School Corporation.

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“The bullying, harassment, and sexual misconduct directed at Brookyln was repeatedly reported to school officials,” read the lawsuit. “The male students engaging in the bullying, harassment and sexual abuse of Brooklyn were never disciplined for this bullying during the 2024-2025 school year.”

The lawsuit also alleges:

• During the 2023-2024 school year, while Brooklyn was in the fourth grade at North Vernon, she was subjected to regular severe bullying and harassment by two (2) male students in her class.
• The bullying was reported to school administrators and as a result of these reports, the male students were removed from Brooklyn’s classroom.
• After the male students’ removal from the classroom, the bullying ceased, and the remainder of the 2023-2024 school year passed without further incident.
• During the 2024-2025 school year, when Brooklyn was in the fifth grade, the same male students were in Brooklyn’s classroom again.
• Shortly thereafter, the same male students, along with additional male students resumed and escalated the bullying Brooklyn experienced in fourth grade.

WRTV Investigates reached out to the school corporation for comment on the lawsuit.

“We strongly deny the allegations and will have no further comment on this pending legal matter at this time,” the Jennings County School Corporation superintendent said in an email to WRTV.

The law firm representing the Cooks issued a statement on the lawsuit.

"Despite repeated reports, clear signs of emotional distress, and specific warnings about sexual assault concerns and suicide threats, we believe school officials failed to take reasonable and effective steps to protect Brooklyn or remove the offending students from her classroom, even though similar action had stopped bullying the prior school year," read a statement from CohenMalad, LLP. "On behalf of Brooklyn’s parents, the complaint alleges that this failure to act allowed the abuse to continue and escalate, contributing to Brooklyn’s severe psychological harm and death. Through this federal lawsuit, Brooklyn’s family seeks accountability from Jennings County School Corporation and individual school officials."

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Counts in the complaint include:

1. COUNT I: Inadequate Polices and Protection, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 Against all Defendants
2. COUNT II: Violation of Title IX, 20 U.S.C. 38 § 1681 et seq. Against Jennings County School Corporation, Superintendent Nicole Johnson and Principal Leonard Collett
3. COUNT III: Wrongful Death Against All Defendants
4. COUNT IV: Negligence Against All Defendants
5. COUNT V: Negligent Hiring, Training, Supervision and Retention Against JCSC, and Defendants Johnson, Collett and Hill
6. COUNT VI: Negligent Infliction of Emotional Distress Against All Defendants