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But this girl never walked out.听

She is one of at least four students who have died as a result of injuries sustained at federally funded and, in some cases, operated Bureau of Indian Education schools over the past two decades, according to previous news stories and lawsuits. But the total number of such deaths is not known. The bureau declined to provide a complete count, and the BIE鈥檚 FOIA office claimed to have 鈥渘o record鈥� that was responsive to a public records request for a count of deaths on BIE property.听

The girl who died at Pierre Indian Learning Center had long struggled with her emotional well-being and had been involuntarily committed twice to South Dakota hospitals because of suicidal ideation in 2014, the year before she started at the boarding school, according to a lawsuit filed by her guardian and later settled by the U.S. government. Two months after she moved in, that lawsuit says, she died by suicide in the boarding school鈥檚 鈥淏ig Girls dorm.鈥�

The death of this young teen, who is identified only by her initials in the lawsuit, was a tragedy in its own right, one that Superintendent Veronica Morley and the community are still mourning, she said.听

鈥淭his was somebody鈥檚 child,鈥� Morley said. 鈥淭his was a member of our family. And it鈥檚 not something that was taken lightly. 鈥� And we do everything in our power to ensure it does not happen again.鈥澨�

Morley said no other deaths have occurred in her 29-year-career at the tribally-operated in South Dakota鈥檚 capital city.听

But the death did not represent the first or the last time a student鈥檚 safety has been compromised in the Bureau of Indian Education.

Thousands of reports of abuse at BIE schools

A Lee Enterprises Public Service Team investigation found that thousands of reports designated for abuse, neglect, life-threatening incidents and death have been filed听at the听55 Bureau of Indian Education-operated schools听since 2008, though not all incidents occurred on campus.听And a string of government investigations, a smattering of lawsuits and previous reporting provide further insight into long-held concerns about student safety in the BIE鈥檚听55 bureau-operated and 128 tribally-controlled听elementary schools, secondary schools and residential facilities, which serve some听45,000 Native American students.

Nationwide, the BIE system serves a small fraction of Native American students, about 90% of whom attend traditional public schools, according to .

Investigators from the Government Accountability Office and the Department of the Interior鈥檚 Office of Inspector General have issues that may have put BIE student health and safety 鈥�.鈥澨�

In 2018, for example, the GAO found the BIE left students 鈥溾�� by 鈥渘ot ensuring that required background checks for individuals who work with children at Indian education facilities are complete.鈥澨�

In 2022, the U.S. found that the 鈥淏IE鈥檚 overall staff vacancy rate is about 33 percent鈥� and that 鈥淏IE鈥檚 School Operations Division, which provides vital administrative support to schools, has a vacancy rate now of about 45 percent. We believe that high staff vacancy rates significantly inhibit BIE鈥檚 capacity to support and oversee schools.鈥�

In 2014, a group formed by the secretaries of the U.S. Department of Education and Department of the Interior, where the BIE is housed, produced that described the bureau as 鈥渢he legacy of the Indian boarding schools鈥� established in the 19th century and argued the BIE system remained 鈥渁 stain on our nation鈥檚 history.鈥�

During a 2019 congressional hearing, Deb Haaland, the secretary of the Interior Department and the Native American to serve as a Cabinet secretary, offered a harsh critique of the bureau she now oversees.

鈥淚t is no secret that the BIE schools have historically under-performed, although it is the nation鈥檚 most expensive educational system that is failing 183 schools for Native American children in 23 states,鈥� she said, according to a of the hearing. 鈥淭his is a department that continues to fail our children so substantially that a article stated, 鈥楤IE students performed worse than every major urban district in the country except Detroit.鈥� This is a failure of the federal government and completely unacceptable.鈥�

During her time leading the Interior Department, Haaland has pushed for an into 鈥� and a reckoning with 鈥� the history of the federal Native American boarding school system during the 19th and 20th centuries. The results have included publication in 2022 of the first volume of a that laid bare the appalling treatment of students in those schools as well as a series of visits from Haaland herself to of that system and from their descendants.听

Mandy Smoker Broaddus, a of the National Advisory Council on Indian Education who emphasized she was not speaking in her capacity as a board member, said Haaland鈥檚 work to deal with the harmful history of federal schools for Native children is important, but that the conditions at federal Indian schools still in operation should be probed further.听

鈥淓verybody primarily focuses on the historical context,鈥� said Smoker Broaddus, who is a of the Assiniboine and Sioux tribes from the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. 鈥淭hose issues are really important, but we have problems going on in schools right now that we should talk about.鈥澨�

It鈥檚 difficult to know the exact scope and nature of those problems in a school system that spans 23 states and includes a mix of day schools, boarding schools and dormitories operated by an opaque federal agency and a large number of tribes.

But allegations and reports of abuse, neglect and even death at BIE schools have emerged over the past two decades.听

Sexual misconduct, exploitation by school leaders alleged

In April 2022, for example, the BIE responded to a request from tribal officials on the Wind River Indian Reservation, which is home to the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes, to investigate Frank No Runner. He had been the of the then tribally-operated, K-12 in St. Stephens, Wyoming, since 2015.听

The result was a lengthy that documented a wide range of allegations against No Runner and other school officials, including claims that:

• No Runner asked a student 鈥渢o have sex with him for money.鈥�

• No Runner solicited 鈥渦nderage girls for nude photographs and sex.鈥澨�

• A student was 鈥渄ancing topless and being encouraged by the adults in the room鈥� during a party at No Runner鈥檚 house and that this was 鈥渟o traumatic for (a witness) that it contributed to her deteriorated emotional state, and she was considering suicide.鈥澨�

• No Runner solicited nude photos and sex from students and former students.听

• No Runner offered to pay students to attend parties at his house.听

• No Runner smoked marijuana 鈥渨ith some boys outside the (school) gym.鈥�

The BIE鈥檚 investigation concluded that No Runner and other school officials engaged in a wide range of misconduct, including sexual misconduct 鈥渢hat may have harmed Indian children,鈥� sexual harassment, bullying of parents and staff, and consuming alcohol and marijuana on school grounds.听

鈥淭he investigators believe the preponderance of evidence and testimony support that No Runner more likely than not had or attempted to have sexual relationships with students of SSIS,鈥� the report said.

The report led to the of No Runner, who did not offer comment when reached as part of the reporting of this story. It also led to the dismissal of two principals, other school officials and the entire St. Stephens school board. As a result, the Wind River Intertribal Council tribal control of the school.

The FBI also investigated the allegations at St. Stephens but did not pursue charges, said Vikki Migoya, public affairs officer for the FBI Denver Field Office.听

"After a comprehensive investigation, and in consultation with federal partners, the FBI determined that any misconduct in this case did not rise to the level of a federal crime,鈥� Migoya wrote in an email response.

Multiple BIE schools allegedly compromised student welfare

St. Stephens is not the only BIE school where student welfare has allegedly been compromised.听听

In 2017, students at the bureau-operated Havasupai Elementary School 听 over a range of alleged failures, including claims of student mistreatment at the K-8 , which is located on the floor of the Grand Canyon on the Havasupai Indian Reservation in Arizona.听

Among those allegations were claims that an 11-year-old student at the school was 鈥減rosecuted in federal court for pulling the cord out of the back of a computer monitor鈥� and that a 10-year-old 鈥渨as forcibly restrained鈥� in a classroom by a teacher who 鈥渟at and laid down鈥� on the student 鈥渨hile he cried out and yelled, 鈥業 can鈥檛 breathe. Get off of me, you鈥檙e hurting me.鈥� 鈥澨�

The lawsuit, which the BIE and Interior Department , also alleges that the BIE鈥檚 failure to maintain adequate staffing levels has contributed to student harm.听

鈥淭he lack of adequate staffing also leads to dangerous conditions at the school when children are routinely left unsupervised,鈥� the suit reads. 鈥淩ecently, two children accessed a supply cabinet at the school during the school day and drank hand sanitizer. One child was airlifted out of the canyon for medical treatment, and the other was handcuffed and taken to the local medical clinic."

鈥淪imilarly,鈥� the suit, which uses pseudonyms for students, continues, 鈥淧laintiff Taylor P. was recently pushed against a wall and choked by another student while her kindergarten teacher was not watching. In her first semester at the school, Taylor P. was also sexually assaulted and penetrated by another student on the playground. In neither situation was Taylor P.鈥檚 mother, Billie P., informed by the school of what had happened.鈥澨�

In 2019, the U.S. House of Representatives held a on the 鈥淗ealth and Safety Risks of Native Children at Boarding Schools鈥� in response to an expansive reporting project from Oregon Public Broadcasting that student deaths, , allegations that administrators staff, questionable and a 鈥渃ulture of 鈥� at the BIE-operated Chemawa Indian School.听

During that hearing, a former Chemawa teacher named Joy O鈥橰enick committee members that 鈥�(s)tudents who experience harm while under Chemawa鈥檚 care are treated with indifference.鈥澨�

O鈥橰enick said that a special education student reported to her that she had been raped on campus but that administrators 鈥渉ad not provided her counseling or medical treatment, had not separated her from her alleged attacker, and stated that they were not giving credibility to her report because she was special education and probably confused. The principal and counselor at the time quickly put her and her alleged attacker on planes back to their respective reservations rather than investigating or supporting the students, denying the young lady nearly a year of education because she had reported being assaulted, and ensuring that the young man faced no accountability if he had raped her.鈥澨�

This incident, O鈥橰enick said, was one of 鈥渃ountless鈥� 鈥渆xamples of student harm鈥� at Chemawa.听

Celeste Karzon, another former Chemawa teacher, House members her 鈥渃oncern for the well-being鈥� and safety of students at Chemawa went unaddressed, including instances where 鈥渟tudents were filming fights in the dorms and posting them on YouTube without consequence.鈥澨�

In an emailed statement, Amanda , Chemawa鈥檚 superintendent, declined to 鈥渟peak to specific incidents鈥� but wrote that the school 鈥渋s dedicated to supporting the overall well-being of students鈥� and offers therapy to students. She also said that 鈥渁ll reported incidents at Chemawa are investigated, and if the claims are substantiated then appropriate action is taken.鈥澨�

Continued deaths at schools for Native students

Within the past two decades, two students have died at Chemawa: a 16-year-old who of alcohol poisoning in 2003, and an who died of heart failure in 2014.听

A year later and 1,400 miles away, another BIE student died: the 14-year-old girl who died by suicide at the Pierre Indian Learning Center in 2015.听

A lawsuit filed by the girl鈥檚 guardian alleged that PILC and its employees 鈥渂reached their duty to provide adequate supervision of (the girl) to prevent her from engaging in self-harming behavior,鈥� to 鈥渄ocument and report鈥� her suicidal comments, to 鈥渇ollow its admissions policies鈥� and to provide her 鈥渨ith adequate mental health care.鈥澨�

The lawsuit, which the federal government ultimately settled for nearly $35,000 without admitting fault, also noted that her mental-health challenges began before she arrived on campus. The suit says she was involuntarily committed twice to South Dakota hospitals because of suicidal ideation in 2014, the year before she moved into the boarding school.听

Because of this history and incomplete documentation in her enrollment application, the lawsuit contended, the girl never should have been admitted to a school that wasn鈥檛 equipped to address her issues.听

鈥淚t is PILC policy that a history of suicidal ideation or attempt will preclude a child from admission to PILC,鈥� the lawsuit states. 鈥淧ILC does not accept students who have histories of suicidal behavior because it is not a treatment center and does not have the resources to care for or provide adequate supervision for such children.鈥�

The suit alleged that PILC administrators and staff didn鈥檛 provide adequate supervision for the girl and acted with 鈥渃arelessness and negligence鈥� during her brief stay.

Soon after she moved into the staff-supervised dormitory, the lawsuit says, she was found 鈥渃rying鈥� and told staff that 鈥渁nother student had hit her.鈥� Days later, she was 鈥渧isibly upset鈥� after she was further bullied by a fellow student. When staff found her 鈥渆ngaging in fighting behavior鈥� with another student, she told counselors that she fought 鈥渂ecause she was frustrated.鈥澨�

She was also 鈥渦pset鈥� when, a month after she moved in, a fellow dorm resident and friend attempted suicide. Not all of her discussions about suicide occurred with staff, the lawsuit says. She also talked 鈥渢o other students about suicide鈥� and 鈥渕ade self-harm attempts that were not discovered by PILC supervisory staff.鈥�

That suit says protocol at Pierre Indian Learning Center includes a requirement that school staff immediately fill out a Critical Incident Report, provide it to the school superintendent and school dorm supervisor, and contact local law enforcement.听

But staff at the tribally-run Pierre Indian Learning Center did not follow this protocol after the girl who died discussed suicide multiple times or even after the suicide attempt that led to her death, according to the lawsuit.听

The suit also says that a staff member who worked with the 14-year-old who died admitted 鈥渢hat she does not always pass on her self-harm risk assessment documents to supervisors, and she does not always document her risk assessment of the student鈥檚 risk of self-harm despite PILC policies.鈥澨�

鈥楲ong-troubled school鈥� in North Dakota

Three years later, a student at another tribally-operated BIE school : a who committed suicide at Circle of Nations, a BIE boarding school in Wahpeton, North Dakota.听

Soon after, a local television station, KVLY, that 鈥渟everal former employees鈥� of the school told the station they 鈥渢ried to do something about lack of protection for kids at what some have called a long-troubled school.鈥� Some of these employees reportedly claimed 鈥渢hey lost their jobs (because they were) trying to get more supervision for the children.鈥澨�

A lawsuit filed on behalf of a student who was allegedly raped at Circle of Nations in 2017, one year before the 13-year-old鈥檚 death, made similar accusations, claiming the BIE was negligent in failing to ensure students were adequately supervised at the school and failing to provide a safe environment for students.听

The plaintiff in the case also charged that the BIE 鈥渒new, or should have known, of the many other incidents occurring upon the Circle of Nations campus, and of which the perpetrators were a part, that involved similar, sexual behavior and reports indicating the perpetrators have accosted other students in the past.鈥� A judge ultimately dismissed the suit over a lack of jurisdiction.

In May of 2018, during on safety and security at BIE-funded and -operated schools, North Dakota鈥檚 then Sen. Heidi Heitkamp brought up the death at Circle of Nations as well as 鈥渞eports of child abuse at the school.鈥澨�

Heitkamp noted, though, that she and others had a difficult time even figuring out 鈥渨ho had jurisdiction over that school and who could come in and do an investigation.鈥澨�

Heitkamp indicated the North Dakota Office of the Attorney General ultimately pursued an investigation 鈥渏ust because no one else was stepping up,鈥� but efforts to reach Heitkamp and the attorney general鈥檚 office for information about the outcome of that investigation were unsuccessful.

Tanner Rabbithead, CEO of Circle of Nations School, said such allegations were unfounded, that the school has experienced no other student deaths in the years since and that he knew of no allegations of child abuse on campus.听

He claimed that the teachers who made accusations to the local TV station were 鈥渄isgruntled.鈥� As for the lawsuit, Rabbithead said it was an illegitimate claim filed by the student鈥檚 guardian, whom Rabbithead claims was 鈥渓ooking to make a quick dollar on the school鈥檚 account.鈥澨�

Rabbithead said the school works hard to ensure students are safe: 鈥淭hat鈥檚 our main priority: the care, welfare, safety and security of the student.鈥�