A claim against a school resource officer in a lawsuit filed by the mother of a gay Red Lion Area Senior High School student who committed suicide after being bullied at school has been dismissed, according to a ruling by a federal judge.
U.S. Middle District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson also dismissed a claim against one of six students who, the lawsuit asserts, bullied Zachary Kirchner prior to him taking his own life at age 15. One claim against two other students – identified only by their initials because they are minors – was dismissed, but other claims remained intact.
The lawsuit, filed by Zachary’s mother, Hope Amspacher, and older brother, Matthew Kirchner, claimed that her son was bullied and that the school district knew about it but did nothing to stop it. The suit named the school district, counselor Jason Hoffman, and the police officer, Marc Greenly, claiming they “did nothing to intervene to stop the abuse” and responded to the teen’s abuse “with deliberate indifference.”
Zachary hanged himself in the basement of his mother’s home on April 20, 2021. He had also sliced his arm open, the suit states. Zachary’s older brother, Matthew Kirchner, found his body.