Autistic Student Dies after Support Worker Reassignment, Inquest Reveals
An autistic 18-year-old student took his own life at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College after being told his support worker would be changed, an inquest heard.
Sam Coutts, an 18-year-old autistic teenager studying A-levels at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College in Darlington, died by suicide in the college’s toilets after a meeting on January 13 informed him that his support worker, Lauren Crosby, would be replaced. The college acted after finding Reddit posts in which Sam discussed Crosby and after he emailed her a link to a Christmas song. His mother, Kirsten Coutts, told the inquest that the college ignored his vulnerability and left him alone for three hours despite his absence being noted.
The college’s head of learning support, Vicky Wilkinson, acknowledged the removal was necessary for safety but said no other option existed. Coroner Crispin Oliver recorded the family’s concerns about the lack of understanding of Sam’s autism and the institution’s duty of care. The inquest remains open to determine accountability.
Why it matters
The case highlights how schools handle autism support and the serious consequences of inadequate duty-of-care policies.
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