Feldman Shepherd Files Suit Against University of Pennsylvania for Failure to Adequately Respond to Suicidal Student's Pleas for Help

PHILADELPHIA, April 10, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Feldman Shepherd attorneys Carol Nelson Shepherd, Patricia M. Giordano and Andrew K. Mitnick filed a lawsuit today against the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania on behalf of the parents of student Ao "Olivia" Kong who committed suicide on April 11, 2016, by lying on train tracks in front of an oncoming passenger train in Philadelphia. In the days preceding her death, Olivia repeatedly told University officials that she was stressed by her coursework and suicidal. But instead of immediately helping Olivia, the University shuffled her through a bureaucracy of multiple departments and individuals, the suit alleges.

Living the American Dream

Olivia emigrated from China to the United States at age 9 with her family without knowing English. Her parents are researchers at a local medical institution, and Olivia was a devoted sister to a younger brother who was born in the United States.

Olivia attended Philadelphia's McCall Middle School and Central High School, where she graduated with honors in 2013. She participated in many extra-curricular activities, including national math contests, playing the violin and tennis, the debate club and drama productions, plus she won two national math competitions. Olivia was accepted by early decision to the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, Class of 2017 and was awarded several academic grants and scholarships, including the prestigious Mayor's Scholarship, which is awarded each year to the City of Philadelphia's top 50 high school seniors.

At the University of Pennsylvania, Olivia earned all A's and B's and studied abroad in Australia during the first semester of her junior year. She was offered a prestigious summer internship at Bank of America's New York headquarters that would have taken place the summer following her junior year.

At the urging of an academic advisor, Olivia undertook an unusually heavy course load for the second semester of her junior year.

Multiple Cries for Help

Between April 7 and April 9, 2016, Olivia and others reported her suicidal ideations, and even plans, 9 times to University of Pennsylvania professionals.

Olivia's Final Morning

During the early morning of April 11 Olivia walked to the SEPTA Station at 40^th and Market Streets. Footage from a surveillance camera shows her jumping from the platform onto the train tracks and walking into a dark tunnel. She ended her life by lying on the tracks in front of an oncoming train.

Olivia was the 12th University of Pennsylvania student since 2009 to commit suicide. Since 2013, 14 Penn students have died of suicide.

To download a copy of the complaint Click Here

Carol Nelson Shepherd and her team have been involved in many other cases of wrongful death and catastrophic medical malpractice injuries and have recovered some of the largest verdicts and settlements in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and several other states across the country. Feldman Shepherd Wohlgelernter Tanner Weinstock Dodig LLP represents plaintiffs in significant personal injury and complex civil litigation including medical malpractice, birth injury, motor vehicle accidents, defective products, and crashworthiness claims.

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