Mother Claims Lewisville ISD Covered Up Montana Lance Suicide
THE COLONY (CBSDFW.COM) - She was 6-years-old when she witnessed something no little girl should see. "She physically saw him laying on the bed, not responding," recalled the little girl's mother.
The 27-year-old mother says her daughter saw 4th-grade student, Montana Lance being removed from a locked bathroom in the nurse's office at Stewart's Creek Elementary School in The Colony. Lance had just hanged himself. The little girl says she still remembers seeing a belt around his neck.
Both mother and daughter do not want their names released.
Montana's parents say constant bullying, both verbal and physical, led to their son's tragic death. The Lewisville Independent School District says bullying had nothing to do with the 9-year-old's suicide.
Later that day, the mother says she received a phone call from a counselor at the school. "They did not want me to talk to nobody. No news people, not the parents, nothing," explained the mother. "That made me think, they're covering themselves. They don't want to get in trouble," she added.
Stewart's Creek is in the Lewisville Independent School District. District spokeswoman, Karen Permetti, says the counselor who placed the call is no longer with the school.
Montana Lance died in January of 2010, and the same girl who saw his lifeless body now says she too is being bullied at Stewart's Creek. "All I want is to go to a different school so I won't get bullied anymore."
The girl is now 8-years-old and in second grade. She and her mother say the bullying started at the beginning of the school year and culminated in January when another girl in the same class allegedly cracked two of her teeth. "She [the bully] actually grabbed my head and pushed it down on the floor," she explained
The girl's mother claims she reported the bullying to teachers and administrators, but they took no action. "She's getting bullied and I've been telling you for the past six months. You all have done nothing and this is what happens now," the mother claims she told school officials.
Lewisville I.S.D. says it did conduct and investigation into the "cracked teeth" incident. Permetti issued the following written statement:
"The investigation included several witness interviews, including students and teachers. All of their testimonies concluded that it was an accident while playing a chase game during a P.E. class. Since the conclusion of this investigation, no additional concerns have been raised to the campus or district administration."
