The parents of a 16-year-old student who died by suicide in 2022 have reached a confidential settlement with the Landon School in Bethesda, Maryland, just months before a scheduled wrongful death trial in May.
Dawn and Scott Schnell, from McLean, Virginia, filed the lawsuit in January 2024 in Montgomery County Circuit Court, naming the prestigious school, its headmaster, and three administrators as defendants. Court records indicate that all claims against the school and its employees have been dismissed. WTOP is awaiting responses from Landon School and the family’s attorney regarding the settlement.
The lawsuit alleged that their son, Charlie Schnell, transferred to Landon as a freshman after facing bullying at his previous school. While attending, he played football and lacrosse, but his sophomore year was marked by traumatic events, including the suicide of a classmate’s father and a perceived threat from another student about a school shooting.
According to the suit, Charlie suffered a concussion during wrestling practice and later expressed distress over multiple issues, including pain from an ongoing tonsil ailment. In a school assignment viewed by his English teacher, he wrote about his concerns over potential violence at Landon, stating he felt “tired,” “worried,” and in “insane pain.”
In March 2022, less than six weeks after his concussion, Charlie reportedly muttered a profanity at a coach during lacrosse practice. While the disciplinary committee was considering consequences, a Black student at Landon, who was Charlie’s friend, told an administrator that Charlie, who was white, had shown him a racist image.
By the next day, rumors about the drawing spread rapidly among students and faculty, leading to anger and threats toward Charlie. His parents claim the school failed to inform them of the allegation or the growing hostility their son faced.
On March 27, 2022, just 13 days after being forced to withdraw from Landon, Charlie took down a banner from above his bed, fashioned it into a noose, and took his own life.
The lawsuit cited studies linking trauma, bullying, and concussions to an increased risk of suicide. It also claimed the school lacked formal policies for investigating bullying allegations or implementing effective suicide prevention measures.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or visit 988Lifeline.org.
