Los Angeles: Student Dies After Fall From Fourth-Floor Balcony Following Altercation
The Los Angeles high school reopened the following day with mental health professionals on campus, a decision some parents questioned.
Benjamin Franklin High School in Los Angeles reopened Thursday, one day after a student died after falling from a fourth-floor balcony following an altercation with another student.
The incident occurred shortly after 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Highland Park high school. Students remained under lockdown for nearly three hours while law enforcement investigated what the Los Angeles School Police Department initially described as a medical emergency.
Video recorded by students shows a physical altercation inside a classroom before the student left the room. FOX 11 reported that subsequent footage shows the other student following him into the hallway and chasing him through the fourth-floor corridor before the fall.
KTLA reported that investigators believe the student went over the railing while scared and panicked following the confrontation, rather than because he intended to take his own life. LAPD has said preliminary evidence indicates he was not being actively chased, threatened, or followed at the moment he went over the railing.
Franklin High School Reopens With Mental Health Support
In a message to the school community Wednesday evening, Principal Marine Davtyan said mental health professionals and support staff would be available throughout the following school day.
“We recognize that events such as this can affect students and staff in different ways,” Davtyan said. “The well-being of our school community remains our top priority.”
Davtyan said counseling and a safe space would be available for students who wanted to talk and encouraged families to check in with their children. Additional security was also present on campus Thursday, including LAUSD school police vehicles and patrolling officers.
Some families chose to keep their children home. Eleo Rolon, whose daughter knew the student, told NBC Los Angeles she allowed her daughter to stay home Thursday.
“She knew the kid, so I respect that. I let her cope with the loss,” Rolon said.
Parents Question Decision to Resume Classes
Hundreds of students, parents, and community members gathered outside Franklin High Thursday evening for a vigil. A memorial of flowers and candles had begun forming outside the school shortly after the student's death Wednesday.
Some parents questioned the decision to resume classes the following day.
“The district needs to be held accountable,” one parent told KTLA during the vigil. “The school should have been closed today.”
Another parent said students should have been given additional time to process what happened.
Family Raises Previous Bullying Concerns
The student's family told KTLA that he had previously experienced bullying and alleged he had been attacked by other students while in 10th grade. A family member said the student had been reluctant to report bullying because he feared he would also be disciplined.
Those allegations have not been independently confirmed, and officials have not said whether any previous incidents involving the student are part of the current investigation.
LAPD and the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the student's death, including reviewing video evidence and interviewing witnesses.