Girl, 13, killed herself weeks after starring in her school's suicide prevention video

Johanna 'JoJo' Lowe's parents are suing her school district and teacher for putting her in a suicide prevention video without their permission

The 13-year-old killed herself in November 2010, three weeks after her 8th grade class filmed the video

School claims they are not responsible because it did not happen at the school or under the teacher's supervision



Parents of a girl who killed herself have filed a lawsuit claiming that it was her school's decision to put her as the lead in their suicide prevention video that prompted her to take her own life.

Johanna Lowe was 13-years-old when she hanged herself at her stepfather's Casselberry, Florida home after her boyfriend broke up with her on November 23, 2010.

Just weeks before that, she was the star of the video that her class made to raise awareness about suicide prevention.

Before her death: Johanna 'Jojo' Lowe killed herself in 2010 after breaking up with her boyfriend but her parents area also drawing a connection to the school suicide awareness video she made weeks earlier

What was the cause: Her parents allege that her teacher and school are partially at fault for allowing her to take part in a suicide awareness video three weeks before she killed herself



In the film, 'JoJo' pretended to overdose on pills in the video that was made in her eighth grade class.



The Orlando Sentinel now reports that her parents are now suing both the Seminole County School Board and her teacher Joseph Fife for negligence.

They cite the fact that neither the school nor the teacher asked for parental permission before making the film and putting her in such a prominent role.

At fault? The girl's parents are suing both the school district and teacher Joseph Fife (pictured) for failing to ask permission before making the video

Lawyers for the teacher and the school say that they cannot be blamed since the tragic suicide did not take place under the teacher's watch or at the school.

'Just because it's unfortunate and sad doesn't mean there's a cause of action,' the school's attorney Robert Bonner told The Sentinel.

JoJo's parents, Eliette and Stanley Piorkoski, and their lawyer argue that while the school did not force her hand, they 'substantially contributed to her death'.

'Your respective conduct in authorizing the video's production ... is outrageous and intolerable in a civilized society,' attorney Eric Faddis said in the lawsuit.

The parents and the teacher, who is currently on a leave of absence from his job, were not in the Seminole County Circuit Court during the hearing on Wednesday.

The judge heard arguments from both sides but did not make a ruling about whether or not the lawsuit should be dismissed- which the school district hopes will happen.

For confidential support in the U.S., call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255.