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An Italian exchange student hung himself at an elite Westchester boarding school after being placed in isolation for suspected cheating, his family said this week.
Claudio Mandia, 17, was found dead Saturday in a room at E.F. Academy in Mount Pleasant on the eve of his birthday, officials said.
His parents and three siblings flew in to JFK Airport from Italy to celebrate the milestone, according to the family’s attorney, George Bochetto.
But they were instead met there by police and school officials who broke the tragic news of Mandia’s death.
“It came as a complete and devastating shock,” Bochetto said. “They had no idea.”
Bochetto said students and school sources later told them that Mandia had been placed in what the attorney described as “isolation,” after being suspected of cheating by administrators.
The lawyer said he is working with local investigators to piece together the exact sequence of events leading up to Mandia’ death. He did not say exactly what the isolation ordered by the school entailed.
The student’s uncle told The Daily Beast that he thought Mandia killed himself due to a “sudden illness” triggered by his isolation.
The teen was set to graduate from the $62,000-a-year school in May and hoped to follow his father’s path into business.
“Claudio was a wonderful person and student and he couldn’t wait for his family to come to New York from Italy to celebrate his eighteenth birthday,” the family said in a statement.
E.F. Academy did not address the family’s claims in a statement.
“We are deeply, deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Claudio Mandia,” the school said. “Our thoughts are with his family and friends here in New York and back home in Italy. The safety of our school community is always our top priority. We have very strong policies and procedures in place regarding the health and wellbeing of the young people who are away from their home countries.”
Bochetto said he has yet to receive any formal correspondence from the school.
Mandia’s parents remained in New York this week to arrange for the repatriation of his body back to Italy.
“It’s a tragedy,” Bochetto said, adding that the results of an autopsy are expected in the coming days.
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