Lawsuit Alleges Coronado School Ignored Bullying That Led to Student’s Suicide

Attorney John Gomez speaks at podium as the Palacios family and Coronado community members look on as he announces the lawsuit against Coronado Unified School District in front of the district headquarters in September.

By San Diego Monitor News Staff

Coronado — The quiet island city of Coronado is now at the center of a storm that has shaken the community to its core. Attorney John Gomez, one of San Diego’s most prominent civil rights lawyers, has filed a lawsuit against the Coronado Unified School District (CUSD) on behalf of the parents of 13-year-old Gabriel Palacios — a boy described by his family as “brilliant, gentle, and neurodivergent,” whose death by suicide in April 2025 has ignited a painful conversation about school accountability, compassion, and justice.

The lawsuit alleges that the school district failed to protect Gabriel from relentless bullying that began months before his death and escalated after a private video of him was circulated among classmates. Despite repeated pleas from his parents for help, the family says the school did little to intervene. Instead, they claim administrators punished Gabriel, suspended him over a misinterpreted incident, and ignored the warning signs that his mental health was deteriorating. John Gomez did not mince words when addressing reporters about the case. He said that “not only did Coronado Middle School break the law, but by failing to prevent the bullying, they broke Gabriel’s spirit. They ignored him, disciplined him unfairly, and took away his hope. Our goal now is to make sure no other child is left unseen and unprotected the way Gabriel was.”

According to court filings, Gabriel was on an Individualized Education Plan for conditions including Tourette’s syndrome and ADHD. His parents say those conditions made him a target — and made the district’s lack of protection even more devastating. His mother, Orsolya Palacios, recalled the transformation she saw in her son, saying she “watched my son’s light dim day by day. His confidence shattered. His laughter faded. He came home crying, begging not to go back to school. We trusted that his school would take care of him, but they turned their backs when he needed them most.”

The family’s account paints a harrowing picture: a boy once full of creativity and humor who began eating lunch alone in a counselor’s office, withdrawing from friends, and losing interest in the things he loved. His parents say they alerted school staff multiple times about the bullying but were met with excuses and inaction. When asked what justice would look like, Orsolya Palacios said, “Justice is not just for Gabriel. It’s for every child who has ever been bullied and ignored. It’s for the parents who beg schools to listen before tragedy strikes.” CUSD, for its part, has expressed condolences to the family but has publicly denied wrongdoing. The district maintains that it followed proper procedures and disputes the family’s claims. Still, the emotional weight of the case has left the community divided — between those who see it as an indictment of systemic negligence and those who fear it casts too wide a shadow over teachers and administrators.

The lawsuit, now moving forward in San Diego Superior Court, could become a landmark case for how California schools handle bullying, mental health, and the treatment of neurodivergent students. Gomez, known for representing families in high-profile wrongful death and civil rights cases, says this one hits closer to home. He explained that “we’ve handled cases involving corporations, police departments, hospitals — but this is different. This is about a school, a child, and a system that was supposed to protect him. Gabriel’s voice was silenced, but his story will not be.”

In Coronado, students have begun quietly memorializing Gabriel through small acts of remembrance — a notebook left in the hallway, flowers at the school gate, chalk messages reading “Be kind.” His classmates, once silent, are beginning to speak up about what they saw and what they wish they’d done differently.

What comes next is uncertain. The court will determine whether CUSD bears legal responsibility for its actions — or its inaction. But in the court of public opinion, the case has already forced a reckoning about what it means to truly protect children in schools that often value reputation over responsibility. For the Palacios family, there is no closure — only resolve. His mother said softly, “We can’t bring Gabriel back. But we can make sure his death means something. If his story saves one other child, then his voice will keep speaking.”