Italian family of Claudio Mandia sues elite NY boarding school where son killed

An Italian family sued an elite Westchester County boarding school where their 17-year-old son killed himself, accusing officials of keeping the teen in “solitary confinement” after he was expelled for cheating on an assignment.

Exchange student Claudio Mandia was found dead in a room at EF Academy in Thornwood in February, having hung himself on the eve of his 18th birthday.

The teen had just been expelled for cheating on a math assignment, and was forced by school officials to stay in a room alone, according to the lawsuit filed in Westchester County Supreme Court on Friday by his father, Mauro Mandia, and another representative of the boy’s estate.

The suit accuses school officials of contributing to Claudio’s death by putting him in solitary confinement while he was emotionally vulnerable, despite knowing that Claudio had been dealing with personal issues that had impacted his school performance.

“It was painfully foreseeable that forcing [Claudio] into solitary confinement, malnourishing him, and inadequately supervising him after delivering the life-altering news that he would be expelled – all while he was enduring other hardships that EF Academy knew about and was treating him for – could result in his tragic death,” the lawsuit states.

The suit alleges wrongful death, negligence, false imprisonment and emotional distress, among other charges against EF Academy, four school officials, its parent company and 20 other unnamed defendants. Claudio’s family is demanding punishment for the school as well as compensation.

A spokesperson for the school told NBC News in a statement that the filling contained “multiple inaccurate statements” and disputed the claim that Claudio was “placed in solitary confinement.”

“The narrative that is shared in the legal filing is not accurate or based on fact,” the statement said. “We are confident that the legal process will allow us to provide and prove a fact-based legal case recounting what actually transpired.”

Mandia and Elisabetta Benesatto enrolled their son at EF Academy — which has a whopping tuition of $66,500 per year for students who live full-time on campus — in the fall of 2020 after he expressed interest in an international academic experience before attending a university in Italy, according to the suit. He was accepted to the school’s two-year International Baccalaureate Program.

In his first year at the school, he received relatively good grades — including an “A” in math — and was noted by his teachers as “having a good sense of humor,” “helpful” and “a very good math student,” according to the suit.

In November 2020, another Italian student who was expelled from the academy also attempted suicide, according to the suit, which notes Claudio was not involved in that incident.

The following year, trouble began for the teenager. He was forced to stay at home in…