A father is suing a school after his 13-year-old son committed suicide because he could no longer face kids bullying him for being a ‘gay freak’.

Todd Seehus is taking Duluth School District to court because he believes they did not do enough to protect his son, Tristan, from the bullying that prompted the suicide.

Filed last week in Minneapolis, Seehus says the district’s lack of care amounted to discrimination because of his perceived sexual orientation or gender expression.

‘Tristan’s suicide was a foreseeable result of Defendants’ failure to provide him a safe educational environment,’ the lawsuit said.

Tristan did not identify as gay, but he was perceived to be by other children in the school. He was thrown into lockers, told he ‘looks like a girl’, was called names, and students knocked books out of his band.

The lawsuit claims the district ignored and diminished the abuse, and did not adequately carry out policies that ban harassment related to sexual orientation.

In a statement, school district officials said: ‘While we can’t comment specifically on the litigation, it’s important to know that our schools endeavor to create an environment where all students are treated with respect and to validate the rights of all students to a safe and welcoming environment.’

‘This should never happen, let alone to kids who are forced to interact with their tormentors in school every day,’ Lori Peterson, attorney for Seehus, told the Star Tribune.

‘We hope we’ll be able to make a difference for other kids through bringing this action.’