Family sues Georgia school over son's suicide

The family of a student who killed himself at aGeorgia alternative school contends in a lawsuit that the school was responsible for the boy's death. Jonathan King told teachers at the Alpine Program in Gainesville, Ga., that he couldn’t stand being locked within the four concrete walls of a small seclusion room. In 2004, just weeks after threatening suicide, the 13-year-old eighth-grader hanged himself in the room, using a cord a teacher provided him to hold up his pants, court records show. Jonathan's parents, Don and Tina King of Murrayville, Ga., say the treatment their son received at the school was unconstitutional and the school failed to protect him from self-harm. A judge is expected to decide soon whether the King’s case should be dismissed or sent to a jury trial. Alpine, which started its school year last week, serves each year about 200 children ages 5 to 21 with severe behavioral or emotional disabilities. To read The Atlanta Journal-Constitution article, click here.