Danielle Yonemura says she understands that when children act out, school officials need to take actions to correct and redirect them. What happened to her daughter, she says in a new lawsuit, went far beyond that. Leilani Gonzalez, 13, died by suicide in March 2023 after what her mother says was frequent bullying and conflict at Harding Middle School because of her sexual orientation and gender identity. Yonemura is now suing Des Moines Public Schools, alleging that not only did some of Leilani's bullying come at the hands of teachers and school officials, but that Harding's response, a series of lengthy and escalating suspensions for Leilani, left her isolated and contributed to the decline of her mental health. The district did not reply to a message seeking comment. In court filings, it has denied wrongdoing and suggested it will seek to invoke various forms of legal immunity against Yonemura's suit. Tap the link in our bio for more on this story. #Iowa #IAed #DMPS #DesMoines