Mother sues school where her 15-year-old daughter died of fentanyl overdose

Melanie Ramos, was found dead on 13 September at Helen Bernstein High School in Los Angeles

The mother of a California teenager has sued the school where the 15-year-old girl died from a suspected fentanyl overdose in a bathroom.

Elena Perez filed a negligence and wrongful death lawsuit against the Los Angeles Unified School District which seeks unspecified damages, including “for the loss of love of her daughter.”

The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Monday and announced outside the school district’s headquarters on Wednesday.

Ms Perez’s daughter, Melanie Ramos, was found dead on 13 September at Helen Bernstein High School by a man who was looking for his missing stepdaughter, a classmate of Ramos.

Investigators say that Ramos and the classmate bought what they thought was a painkiller off the school campus, before taking the drug on campus and becoming unconscious.

Officials say that the classmate regained consciousness around 8pm, found Ramos unconscious, went outside and was found by her stepfather.

Two teenagers, aged 15 and 16, have been arrested in connection to the death of Ramos and drug sales near the school.

The lawsuit alleges that school officials knew that there had been previous drug overdoses on campus and “rampant drug sales” but did not put in place safety measures.

The school district says that it does not comment on ongoing litigation.

“However, the safety and well-being of our students and employees remains our top priority,” it told The Associated Press in a statement.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.