$27 million settlement reached in lawsuit after bullying death of 13-year-old Moreno Valley student Diego Stolz

MORENO VALLEY, Calif. (KABC) — A $27 million settlement was announced Wednesday in a wrongful-death lawsuit stemming from the 2019 death of 13-year-old Diego Stolz, who was beaten to death by two fellow students at Landmark Middle School in Moreno Valley.

The settlement against the Moreno Valley Unified School District was obtained on behalf of Stolz’s legal guardians, Juana Salcedo and Felipe Salcedo, the family’s attorneys said in a news release.

“The family will forever be heartbroken by the death of Diego but they hope this case brings about change in school districts across the country,” said lead counsel Dave Ring said in a statement. “Schools need to realize that bullying can never be tolerated and that any complaints of bullying and assault must be taken seriously. Diego’s death was preventable if this school had simply prioritized an anti-bullying policy.”

On Sept. 16, 2019, two 14-year-old teenagers were videotaped attacking Stolz outside classrooms at the school. One boy struck the teenager in the head from behind and he fell, hitting his head against a pillar. The boys then continued punching the boy, who died nine days later from a brain injury.

In 2021, Riverside County Superior Court judge ruled that the two 14-year-olds would not go to jail but were ordered to undergo management therapy as a probation condition. The teens were released to the custody of their parents.

DEVELOPING: More details will be added to this report as they become available. The Associated Press contributed to this article.