BOSTON (Legal Newsline) - Harvard Medical School's handling of a sexual assault claim led a student to suicide, a lawsuit says.
Adrian and Marietta Almazan, co-personal representatives of the estate of Anthony Almazan, filed a lawsuit June 18 in Suffolk County Superior Court against Harvard University, Jennifer Kirshenbaum, and an unnamed former student.
The suit alleges that Harvard's mishandling of sexual harassment complaints led to Anthony's death by suicide. Anthony, a student at Harvard Medical School, had filed a formal complaint in November 2020, which was followed by a retaliatory complaint from the unnamed student, the suit says.
The plaintiffs argue that Harvard breached its contract with Anthony by failing to investigate fairly and equitably, delaying processes, and not informing him about his rights or the existence of the retaliatory complaint in time.
The lawsuit claims these failures caused severe emotional distress leading to Anthony's tragic death on June 22, 2021. A note in his pocket said, in part, "I'm grateful for the opportunity to live out my dreams, even if it was all fleeting."
David Heinlein of Heinlein Beeler Mingace & Heineman represents the plaintiff.