Community members in Moreno Valley rallied Tuesday, asking for justice for 13-year-old Diego Stolz, who died a year ago after getting punched at school by two other 13-year-old boys.
Stolz died more than a week after he was punched at Landmark Middle School on Sept. 16, 2019, falling and striking his head on the ground. Stolz’s family says they had complained to school officials about the bullying prior to the deadly attack, which was recorded on cell phone video.
A legal claim against Moreno Valley Unified School District was filed last October by Juan and Felipe Salcedo, Stolz’s aunt and uncle who raised him from the age of 1 following his mother’s death. Last week, they re-filed their civil suit against the district, claiming the district ignored serious bullying and assault on its campuses.
When the Salcedos filed the suit last year, the law only allowed natural parents or siblings to make such a claim. Now, new legislation has allowed them to move forward.
“The district, the board members, they have to care about our children,” said Karla Palumbo, a parent who attended Tuesday’s protest. “We send them to school for a reason — not to get attacked, not to bury them the next day.”
The two boys who allegedly assaulted Diego are facing manslaughter charges in Riverside County Juvenile Dependency Court.
KTLA reached out to the school board for comment but had not received a response Tuesday night.
