DEARBORN HEIGHTS — A little over three months after 14-year-old Annapolis High School student Selena Perez died by suicide, her family has filed a formal lawsuit against the D7 School District, Principal Aaron Mollett and Superintendent Dr. Tyrone Weeks.

14-year-old Selena Perez

The lawsuit says that Perez had physical signs of self-induced harm that were noticeable and could be linked to her suicidal ideation and that her grades had started to decline in the months leading up to her death.

Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Dearborn Heights’ D7 School District

According to the lawsuit, Mollett allegedly contacted Perez’s guardian to report that she had been “tossing bottles” in class near the conclusion of the school day, but had not advised her guardian that she had been under the influence of marijuana or that he had allowed her to leave school grounds without seeking medical treatment, notifying her guardian or the police.

After being sent home, Perez walked home in an “altered state of mental health” according to the lawsuit, which also alleges that Mollett and Weeks arrived at her home approximately 30 minutes after her death “under the guise of expressing condolences” and to report that she had been under the influence of marijuana during school hours. However, the lawsuit states that the family had not made any public comment or notice of her death prior to Mollett and Weeks arriving at their home. 

Annapolis High School Principal Aaron Mollett

“The mere arrival of Defendants Mollett and Weeks at Selena’s residence, in such close temporal proximity to Selena’s death raises genuine concerns on how they developed the knowledge of Selena’s passing, who they obtained that information from, the content and substance of their electronic communications with Selena and the nature of their relationship with Selena,” the lawsuit read.

The lawsuit is filed for wrongful death, gross negligence and two counts of state-created danger.

On May 9, students staged a walkout in protest of Mollett being placed on administrative leave “pending investigation.” He was later reinstated and Weeks was placed on leave after the May 17 board meeting that lasted more than four hours. It had been implied at the time that the motions were related to Perez’s death, but the board refused to comment due to the Dearborn Heights Police Department’s ongoing investigation into the matter.

While Mollett was reinstated effective August 10, Weeks is still currently on paid administrative leave while an investigation is ongoing into at least three Title IX and one civil rights complaints against him. At least three school educator unions have also issued a “no-confidence” vote with respect to Weeks’ role as superintendent.

D7 Superintendent Dr. Tyrone “Ty” Weeks

“They knew that she had a history of suicidal ideation,” Brooke Mathis, an attorney representing the family from Koussan Law, told Fox2. “That she was under the intoxication of marijuana on the date of her death, and they still let her leave the school premises — alone.”

Attorneys Mathis and Ali Koussan said that Perez’s teacher had sent her to the principal’s office on May 1 because she appeared to be intoxicated as she was high on marijuana. 

“The principal called her parents — he told the parents she would be in trouble for tossing water bottles, flipping water bottles — something completely innocuous that wouldn’t raise any concerns normally,” Koussan said. “The reality of it — she was intoxicated — she has the history of mental unwellness and he had an obligation to not only report that to the parents, but to report that to the authorities.”

District policy mandates that police be contacted and students be suspended for 10 days if suspected of being under the influence, but the lawsuit alleges that that did not happen.

Attorneys also say that Mollett had been Perez’s principal in middle school and knew she had a history of self-harm and had even asked her to pull up her sleeves when in his office to look for signs of her cutting herself.

“None of that got relayed to the parents, though,” Koussan said. “And she was left to leave the school on her own and fend for herself essentially.”

Approximately an hour later, her stepfather found her in the basement where she had taken her life by hanging.

According to Fox 2 reports, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office is now reviewing the case for possible charges against Mollett.

Attorneys told Fox 2 that no amount of money will ever make things right.

“There’s no quantity you can place on your child’s life,” Koussan said. “But that’s the only relief you can get from the courts in circumstances like this.”

Neither the district nor its attorneys could not be reached for comment before publication of this article.