Months after 14-year-old Carter Edell died by suicide on Sept. 23, 2025, his parents say they are still fighting to understand what really happened during his school day at Hastings Middle School. Steven and Melissa Edell recall a call from school staff that afternoon about what sounded like a minor “wet paper towel” prank, with only a passing reference to an earlier incident involving alleged racial remarks. Now, with an attorney on board, the family is pushing for clearer statewide rules on when schools must tell parents about possible bullying or harassment.
Family’s account of the day
The Edells told local reporters that the Hastings Middle School principal contacted them about the wet paper towel prank and, almost as an aside, mentioned a separate issue from earlier in the day. According to the family, staff said Carter had been accused of telling another student, “I bet your house smells like tikka masala.” They say they never had a real chance to sit down and talk with Carter about those allegations before he died. The timeline the family described – from after-school practice to his grandmother picking him up to a final text – was laid out in interviews with local reporters, according to WSYX.
After practice, Carter appeared visibly upset, the family said, and his grandmother drove him home. Once there, he sent a text message to both of his parents that read, “bye mom, bye dad, i love you.” He died by suicide on Sept. 23, 2025, according to Dignity Memorial. The Edells say they have since retained an attorney and told local outlets that after counsel became involved, some staff interviews were blocked, a shift the family believes has complicated their search for answers, per reporting by WCMH.
District response and Ohio law
Upper Arlington City Schools maintains that it has responded appropriately to the family’s concerns and says its superintendent has met with the Edells. The district also told reporters that, on the advice of legal counsel, it does not typically allow staff to be interviewed directly by a family’s attorney, as reported by WSYX.
Under Ohio law, each school board must adopt a policy prohibiting harassment, intimidation and bullying, and that policy has to include a provision that custodial parents be notified “to the extent permitted” by federal privacy rules. That requirement appears in the state’s bullying statute, the Ohio Revised Code. The gap between what the statute says and how districts interpret when to pick up the phone and call parents is at the heart of the Edells’ push for change.
What the family wants
The Edells are asking lawmakers to spell out more clearly when schools must notify parents about alleged bullying, harassment or other serious incidents, and to create a statewide toolkit that lays out clear steps for families and staff to follow. Their attorney, Brad Koffel, told reporters that the current statute effectively keeps many situations in-house and urged legislators to require earlier parent notification, according to WCMH. The family says they are not looking for retribution, but for a system where no parent is left in the dark if their child is in trouble…