LAKELAND, Fla. — A judge has tossed a portion of a lawsuit that alleged negligence against a cement company in the death of a 12-year-old Lakeland girl.
Rebecca Sedwick jumped to her death from a silo at Cemex Construction near Lakeland in 2013. Circuit Judge John Radabaugh wrote in a recent decision that the company was not at fault.
Sedwick's mother, Tricia Norman, filed the lawsuit against the company and the Polk County School board last year. Her lawyer alleged that the fence around the site was in disrepair, allowing unrestricted access. The lawsuit against the school board remains, with mediation scheduled for June.
The family and the Polk County Sheriff's Office blame bullying by the girl's former classmates for her suicide.
An October 2013 press release said harassment by the girls was likely a contributing factor in Sedwick's decision to jump to her death at a concrete plant in Lakeland.
Sheriff Grady Judd pointed the finger at teenagers, Katelyn Roman and Guadelupe Shaw. The pair was charged with aggravated stalking in connection to Sedwick's suicide.
Judd revealed an alleged Facebook post by Guadalupe, who used the name Guadalupe Borgen, that read, "Yes IK I bullied REBECCA and she killed her self but IDGAF."
The charges were ultimately dropped.
Norman told WFTV that her daughter had been bullied online for months and struggled with self-esteem issues.
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WFTV
