WALTHAM – The family of a student is suing Brandeis University, accusing the school of ignoring a call for help and allowing their child to die.
“They are heartbroken.”
It was last December when twenty-year-old Eli Stuart committed suicide. According to toxicology reports, the sophomore had taken a combination of prescription and over-the-counter pills.
Stuart family
Stuart’s family has hired Boston attorney Howard Cooper to represent them in a civil suit against the university and three of its police officers.
“They are heartbroken,” Cooper said. “This is just extremely devastating for this family.”
According to the lawsuit, Stuart took several pills and walked outside on a cold December morning. A professor saw them and called the university police. The file claims that the official is on the phone “…reacted negatively to him and said the person he was observing was probably a homeless person.”
Cooper said his team has hours of Stuart’s own audio recordings as they called for help. He stated that there is evidence that Stuart changed his mind about wanting to end their lives in the middle of the crisis. Cooper claims there is surveillance video that shows how long the officer waited to respond, and when someone finally did, the filing claims she “failed to stop her car, failed to get out of her car, and even not to look for the person lying on the ground.” the ground.”
“Right now, Eli is completely alive,” Cooper said. ‘Conscious, looking for help. This is not a situation where someone self-harmed and tragically died in the privacy of their dorm room. This was someone who was on campus.”
Cooper claimed officers never filed a report and only started looking for Stuart after their mother called from Texas, concerned about her child’s safety.
Accused of negligence
The lawsuit claims officers found Stuart in the same spot the professor originally told police, but twelve hours too late. According to the documents, when officers finally found Stuart, they rendered aid two hours before he was pronounced deceased.
The lawsuit also claims that one of the officers has since resigned from the university following an investigation into the incident.
Brandeis University released the following statement in response to a request for comment on this report:
“Eli Stuart was a beloved member of the Brandeis community and their loss was deeply felt on campus. We extend our deepest condolences to their family. Their friends, roommates, professors and colleagues are all mourning their passing. Brandeis has resources and support offered to everyone affected by the tragic loss of Eli. Nothing is more important to Brandeis than the safety and security of our students.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a suicidal crisis, please call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. You can also chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Brandon Truit
