The mother of a teenager who died by suicide hours after being expelled from his Catholic school is pursuing a wrongful death lawsuit against a local archdiocese.
Sara Brannon alleges that leaders at Rummel High School in Metairie were negligent in their treatment of her 17-year-old son, Delvon Shelton. She is seeking damages for mental anguish, physical pain and suffering.
According to the lawsuit, Shelton had been involved in a shoving incident with a bandmate he said had been bullying him during a St. Patrick’s Day parade. He later told his mother and former stepfather, Rick Ford, that he had not reported the bullying because doing so “makes it harder for anyone who reports it".
Brannon and Ford encouraged him to speak to school officials when they were called in for a meeting on 17th March, 2025.
The lawsuit claims school leaders did not speak with Shelton about the incident or interview a witness. Instead, the principal allegedly accused him of starting the altercation and raised, for the first time, concerns that Shelton had previously attended band practice smelling of alcohol.
Shelton reportedly admitted to a faculty member that he had consumed alcohol at home before going to school. The school cited that incident and the altercation as reasons for his expulsion.
The lawsuit further alleges the school was aware Shelton had previously expressed suicidal thoughts and had required him to undergo six months of counselling during his freshman year.
During the meeting, Ford pleaded with the principal not to expel Shelton, allegedly saying: “How can you treat him like this? There must be another solution.”
The principal allegedly replied: “We think it best if Devon finds another school to attend … [He] is not showing the improvement we want to see.”
After the meeting, Brannon drove her son to Ford’s home and told him they would find a way forward. She left him there while she collected his younger brother from a neighbour.
According to the lawsuit, Shelton later locked himself in a room and died by suicide. Ford discovered him after hearing a noise and forcing entry. A weapon stored in a wall cabinet was found at the scene.
Brannon alleges the school failed to follow its own policies on bullying and expulsion, and argues alternative measures, such as virtual learning, could have been considered.
Her attorney, Richard Trahant, has represented numerous claimants in clergy abuse cases involving the New Orleans archdiocese, which filed for bankruptcy protection in 2020 amid a wave of abuse allegations.
In December, the archdiocese and its insurers agreed to pay about $305 million to settle claims from around 600 abuse survivors, according to previous reporting.
Shelton’s obituary described him as a devoted member of the school’s marching band, where he played trumpet, mellophone and French horn, and was learning the tuba. He was also a member of the varsity bowling team.