Executive Summary
- Jessica Louk is suing Loudonville-Perrysville Schools for wrongful death and negligence.
- The lawsuit alleges staff ignored the student’s comments about wearing a “funeral suit” on the day of his suicide.
- The plaintiff claims the school violated policy by failing to report a physical altercation to parents.
- The school district has firmly denied the allegations and is contesting the suit in court.
Jessica Louk has filed a civil lawsuit in Ashland County Common Pleas Court against the Loudonville-Perrysville School District and several faculty members, alleging negligence and wrongful death following the November 2023 suicide of her 14-year-old son, Gage Lycans.
The complaint, formally filed on November 19, names the school district, the school board, Superintendent Jennifer Allerding, High School Principal Christine Butts, and specific staff members as defendants. The plaintiff contends that school officials failed to intervene in bullying instances and ignored significant distress signals exhibited by Lycans on the day he sustained the fatal injury.
According to the court filing, Lycans arrived at school on November 10, 2023, wearing a formal suit. The complaint alleges he told multiple students this was his “funeral suit.” The plaintiff asserts that at least three students reported these comments to teachers, who reportedly failed to investigate the remarks or notify the administration. Additionally, the filing states that Lycans was involved in a physical altercation with another student later that day.
The lawsuit claims that a teacher intervened in the fight but dismissed the students without filing a formal report or contacting their parents. Louk’s attorneys argue that this failure to notify parents violated the school’s bylaws regarding aggressive behavior. Louk asserts that had she been informed of the physical altercation and her son’s concerning statements, she would have had the opportunity to intervene before he accessed a firearm at home.
In a written statement, Superintendent Jennifer Allerding expressed deep sympathies to the family but firmly denied the allegations on behalf of the district and the named individuals. Allerding stated that the district takes student well-being seriously and will respond to the claims through the appropriate legal process. Defense attorney Sandra Renea McIntosh has since filed a motion to strike portions of the complaint.
Liability and Educational Duty of Care
This litigation highlights the legal standards regarding the “duty of care” schools owe to students, specifically concerning mental health indicators and the enforcement of safety protocols. In wrongful death claims against educational institutions, the proceedings often focus on the concept of “foreseeability” and whether staff strictly adhered to mandatory reporting policies for bullying and aggression. As this case moves through the Ashland County Common Pleas Court, the judicial review will determine if the alleged procedural lapses constitute actionable negligence. It is important to note that a civil complaint contains unproven allegations, and the defendants have denied all liability, which has not yet been adjudicated in a court of law.
