Kenneth Suttner, 17, was bullied at work and at school according to the Columbia Daily Tribune.
Tragically, on December 21st, Suttner shot himself in the head after having composed several suicide notes to his family and friends.
On February 14, a coroner’s jury ruled that his death was caused by involuntary manslaughter – and the person responsible was Harley Branham, 21, a former manager at Dairy Queen in Howard County, Missouri.
Branham had been Suttner’s superior and would force him to clean the floor while lying on his stomach and would bully him.
The jury also found that the school district was negligent in not preventing bullying and Dairy Queen was negligent in training its employees.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services explained that research shows that persistent bullying can lead to an increased sense of rejection, isolation, despair, exclusion, anxiety, and depression.
