PA Mom Sues School After Trans Daughter, 15, Kills Herself

LUZERNE COUNTY, PA — A mother filed a federal lawsuit against a Pennsylvania school district and high school this week, claiming "relentless" harassment, discrimination and bullying targeting her 15-year-old transgender daughter prompted the teen to commit suicide.

Sa'raya Harden filed the civil rights lawsuit Monday on behalf of her daughter, Adreya Harden, who died on Oct. 5, 2021. According to the case, Adreya was found unresponsive in her Luzerne County home after intentionally overdosing on prescription medication.

The West Side Career and Technology Center and the Wyoming Valley West School District were named as defendants in the suit, as well as West Side Tech principal Richard Rava, five unnamed minors and five unnamed adults.

According to court documents, lawyers for Sa'raya Harden wrote that the school and the district "deprived Adreya of equal access to educational opportunities and, ultimately, her life" because officials did not do enough to curb bullying and support the teen.

According to the lawsuit, Adreya was a ninth-grade student at West Side Tech for two months during the 2021-22 school year.

During her time at West Side Tech, lawyers said Adreya was subjected to anti-gay and anti-trans slurs "nearly every day." The lawsuit also accused teachers of refusing to address her as Adreya despite her family submitting paperwork to the school documenting her name change petition.

According to court documents, teachers instead referred to her as "Andrew," the name given to her at birth. This emboldened other students to use Adreya's deadname and invalidate her gender identity, the lawsuit claims.

According to court documents, the incidents were reported to Principal Richard Rava, who failed to take action against the bullying. Instead, Rava's response was to "ignore, dismiss, mock, and sometimes blame Adreya for the abuse she was suffering," according to the lawsuit.

As a result of the bullying, the lawsuit claims Adreya's grades, participation in school, and mental health suffered. According to court documents, Adreya begged her mother not to send her back to West Side Tech.

Adreya was found unresponsive in her bed on the morning of Oct. 5, 2021, the lawsuit states.

In the lawsuit, Adreya's parents accused both the school and the district of violating her Fourteenth Amendment rights, gross negligence and showing "deliberate indifference" to the bullying.

"(Sa'raya Harden's) hope is that this lawsuit will lead to much-needed change within the (schools) so that all students – including vulnerable students like Adreya – feel safe in Luzerne County schools," the lawsuit reads.

In the lawsuit, Sa'raya Harden requested a jury trial and asked for an unspecified amount of punitive and compensatory damages.

Patch has reached out to the Wyoming Valley School District for comment.

Adreya's obituary described her as a "striking young lady" with an "amazing spirit."

"(She was) a bright light for the people that took the time to really get to know her," her obituary read. "(She) thrived on building up her peers and emphasizing positivity and most importantly, to love yourself and Be Kind."

Help For Those Considering Suicide

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, help is available 24 hours a day. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. Its website also offers services, including a live chat.