REGINA -- The family of Kaleab Schmidt, who died by suicide nearly two years ago, is welcoming recommendations made by a jury following an inquest into the his death.

He was found unresponsive on his family farm on April 30, 2018. He attended Greenall High School in Balgonie, where his family said he experienced bullying and racism from other students.

Last week, a coroner’s inquest began into his death, which shed light on the failures of the community including local social workers, teachers at Greenall High School, RCMP and Mobile Crisis.

After two days of deliberations a jury came out with several recommendations.

The first recommendation is for Greenall School and the Prairie Valley School Division to have an investigation protocol for all cases of physical bullying, and racism. All incidents must also be recorded in a central system, and mediation should occur immediately following an incident.

The jury suggested revisiting the suspension and bullying policy, because it felt sending students home with a suspension is not effective.

It was recommended that social workers and the Ministry of Social Services, and the schools improve communciation and refresh staff with Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training routinely.

“I’m happy with regards to the school, the recommendations to social services to mobile crisis,” said Kaleab’s mother Sandra Barker Schmidt. “Now they have to follow up.”

“We will be reviewing the jury’s recommendations and using their findings to help improve our services to ensure the safety and well-being of Saskatchewan’s vulnerable children and youth,” Natalie Huber with the Ministry of Social Services said, on behalf of the Ministries of Social Services, Health, Education and Justice and Attorney General.

Other recommendations include more training for mobile crisis units and encouraging families who adopt from other countries to seek therapy. The jury also recommends the family should continue seeking counselling including anger management for Kaleab’s dad, Dean Schmidt

“He wanted something to help other families in the future to not go through what we have gone through,” Dean said. “He was our Duron Carter. He was our Kobe. He had the whole package. Rest easy my friend, my son Kaleab.”

Both parents says these recommendations are a good step forward so no family will have to go through what they went through again.