Update: this story has been updated to include a statement from the Missouri Military Academy.

A lawsuit brought against the Missouri Military Academy alleges school officials did not intervene on several allegations of abuse toward a student, resulting in the student's attempted suicide.

The plaintiff, a minor identified only as KP, alleges he faced several instances of abuse while attending the military academy between 2018 and 2021. In January 2021, he attempted to commit suicide, telling medical professionals "he would rather die than return" to the academy, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit is seeking a trial by jury, with as much as $25,000 in damages. The Missouri Military Academy is named as the sole defendant in the lawsuit.

In a statement provided to KRCG 13, the academy calls the allegations "wholly unfounded."

"The Academy intends to defend itself," academy president Richard V. Geraci said in a statement. "We follow our Academy’s guiding principles of love, honor, and truth. Our policies, education, and training of cadets on acceptable behavior are robust. We have established procedures and documented training to ensure the prohibition of bullying, hazing and other inappropriate conduct. To foster all-around support and to ensure the best possible education for their sons, we maintain transparency and a strong partnership with parents. We are proud of the high school and middle school education that we provide to the young men who are accepted into our Academy. This education is centered on our core values, which include respect, honor, and integrity.”

According to the initial petition, the student faced assault soon after beginning school at the academy in 2018. In one instance, he "was in the bathroom when someone turned the lights out and numerous people, including fellow students, physically assaulted [him] and broke his glasses."

The lawsuit said he reported the instance, including the identity of at least one of those assailants, though no action was taken. "In retaliation, the identified assailant once again physically assaulted [him], including causing facial swelling and a black eye."

Afterward, the lawsuit alleges that the student and his identified assailant were made roommates, under the academy's jurisdiction. From there, he was physically assaulted by his roommate several times, while the academy "watched and failed to intervene," according to the lawsuit.

On more than one occasion, the lawsuit refers to an incident called the "purge," which takes place on the last day of a school year. On the last day of school in 2019, individuals identified as "commanders", "platoon sergeants" and a "platoon leader," all supervisors to the student, arranged the purge, in which the student was beaten by older attendees, including those individuals who arranged the purge.

On the first day of the following school year, the lawsuit alleges the student was choked by a platoon sergeant to the point of unconsciousness.

The commanders, an "executive officer," and a "first sergeant" allegedly beat the student on his birthday during the 2019-2020 school year, with beatings conducted on a weekly basis, the lawsuit alleges.

At another point in that school year, the student's "company commander" forced him to fight his best friend, according to the lawsuit. When they tried to resist the fighting, the commanders beat the students, including chokeholds.

In the purge at the end of that school year, the lawsuit said the student "was once again victimized," and that the incident was video-recorded.

During the 2020-2021 school year, the lawsuit alleges the student faced similar physical assaults, including on his birthday, before another student identified only as "R.M." began physically assaulting several students, some of which were recorded on video. In December 2020, the lawsuit said R.M. began targeting the plaintiff, with the academy allegedly doing "nothing to remedy the situation."

Following several instances of abuse, the student attempted suicide on January 29, 2021, according to the lawsuit, when he was at home. He was hospitalized as a result, where he told personnel he tried taking his life so as not to return to the academy.