Settlement Reached In Bullying Death Suit Against Morristown HS

MORRISTOWN, NJ — The mother of a teenager who died by suicide after being bullied at Morristown High School has settled her suit against the district for $625,000, the Daily Record reported.

Sharon Vernelas filed suit against the district in 2014, two years after her son, Lennon Vernelas Baldwin, committed suicide at age 15 in their Morris Township home. The settlement was reached through mediation, and the district does not have to admit liability.

The lawsuit said the district failed to enforce effective bullying policies that could have prevented the teens death. Three students charged with different offenses related to the suicide were originally named, but their names were dismissed from the suit.

The settlement comes as another high-profile suicide and bullying lawsuit makes its way through the Morris County courts. The family of Mallory Grossman is suing the Rockaway school district for allegedly failing to prevent the bullying they say led to the 12-year-old's death by suicide. The district has denied any wrongdoing.

• Read More: Mallory Grossman's Family Sues Rockaway Schools Over Bullying That Led To Suicide

Three teens, including two who were minors at the time, were charged with offenses including assault and robbery against Baldwin. The incidents happened shortly before Baldwin died.

According to Morris County Prosecutor Michael Bianchi's comments at the time of the charges, Baldwin was assaulted at Morristown High School on March 6, 2012 by one of the juveniles, whose name was not made public due to his age. That alleged assault was captured on the school's surveillance system, Bianchi said, which led to the suspension of the juvenile identified in the video.

• Read More: Friends Share Memories of Lennon Baldwin

However, prior to the juvenile's suspension, the police investigation—a collaboration between the Morris County Prosecutor's Office, Morristown and Morris Township police departments—revealed the juvenile "made numerous attempts to contact Mr. Baldwin for the purpose of instructing him to go to the school administration and tell them that the incident which occurred on March 6 was a joke," Bianchi said.

Despite Baldwin reporting the incident as a joke to the school on March 7, the school continued its investigation and subsequently suspended the juvenile defendant the following day.

Then, on March 9, the investigators said Baldwin was met by the suspended juvenile, a second juvenile and Conway, in the Century 21 parking lot where Baldwin was robbed and told "it was punishment for what occurred at Morristown High School on March 6 and the resulting suspension of the juvenile for the alleged assault," Bianchi said.

As a result, additional charges were filed against one juvenile of theft and terroristic threats, and the other juvenile charged with conspiracy to commit robbery and conspiracy to commit theft. Conway was charged with false swearing last year for allegedly providing false statements to police and detectives of the Morris County Prosecutor's Office.

The two juveniles were sent to the Morris County Youth Detention Facility on March 22 and 23, and released to House Arrest on March 27, which remained in place as of the May 30 press conference, Bianchi said.

On March 28, Baldwin was found dead.

The two juveniles later were sentenced to one-year probation after pleading guilty to charges related to the robbery investigation. The 19-year-old Michael Conway was sentenced to three years' probation.

• Read More: Last Defendant Sentenced in Lennon Baldwin Bullying Case

With reporting by Linda Sadlouskos, Patch Staff

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