Barrett & Farahany Attorney Constance Cooper was recently featured in a nationally televised CNN interview to discuss a federal lawsuit, Williams v. Elba City Board of Education, filed on behalf of the family of a transgender teen from Alabama who died by suicide in 2023 after enduring repeated bullying and discrimination at Elba High School.
The lawsuit, filed by the teen’s parents, Carmeisha and Cory Williams, alleges that the school district and two former principals, Wynn Grimes and Dr. Warren Weeks, failed to protect the teen (known as S.W.) despite numerous reports of “persistent bullying, harassment, and discrimination based on gender identity, sexual orientation, race, and mental health status,” from both peers and school staff.
The complaint centers on a particularly traumatic incident during which Dr. Weeks allegedly confronted S.W. in front of dozens of students, forcibly removed the teen’s hoodie — revealing self-harm scars and exposing their body — and did not allow the teen to cover themselves for the remainder of the school day. The following day, S.W. died by suicide.
Cooper represents the Williams family alongside Barrett & Farahany partners Matthew Billips and Benjamin Stark, and co-counsel Artur Davis of HKM Employment Attorneys LLP. The legal team is pursuing claims under federal anti-discrimination laws and Alabama’s 2018 anti-bullying statute, which mandates schools to implement accessible reporting systems and proactive intervention protocols to protect students.
The suit also raises broader concerns about discriminatory practices and selective enforcement within Elba City Schools. It alleges that while some students were protected from bullying, others — including S.W., who was transgender, biracial, and openly LGBTQ+ — were ignored.
“In virtually every school district in America, there are anti-bullying policies already in place,” Cooper said during the CNN interview. “But when the people in charge fail to enforce them equally, those policies mean nothing.”
In a statement included in the lawsuit, Partner Matt Billips added, “How any responsible school system could put a bully in charge of stopping bullies is beyond me. […] I’m grateful there’s a new administration, and hopefully they will turn this shameful episode into something that approaches justice for S.W. and their parents.”
CNN drew parallels between this case and the 2019 death of Nigel Shelby, another LGBTQ+ student in Alabama whose suicide also led to legal action and promised reforms. The legal team representing S.W.’s family hopes this case will serve as a catalyst for nationwide change — reinforcing that schools must not only adopt protective policies, but enforce them consistently and equitably.