diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index 25599da56..33fc07482 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -238,13 +238,11 @@ class User < ApplicationRecord
   end
 
   def status
-    if active == false
-      :deactivated
-    elsif confirmed? == false
-      :unconfirmed
-    else
-      :active
-    end
+    return :deleted if discarded_at.present?
+    return :deactivated unless active
+    return :unconfirmed if !confirmed?
+
+    :active
   end
 
 protected
diff --git a/db/migrate/20240305091927_add_discarded_at_column_to_users.rb b/db/migrate/20240305091927_add_discarded_at_column_to_users.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..469c4e145
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20240305091927_add_discarded_at_column_to_users.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+class AddDiscardedAtColumnToUsers < ActiveRecord::Migration[7.0]
+  def change
+    add_column :users, :discarded_at, :datetime
+  end
+end
diff --git a/db/schema.rb b/db/schema.rb
index da9c4b0aa..cca8b7f5c 100644
--- a/db/schema.rb
+++ b/db/schema.rb
@@ -763,6 +763,7 @@ ActiveRecord::Schema[7.0].define(version: 2024_03_19_122706) do
     t.datetime "confirmation_sent_at"
     t.string "unconfirmed_email"
     t.boolean "initial_confirmation_sent"
+    t.datetime "discarded_at"
     t.index ["confirmation_token"], name: "index_users_on_confirmation_token", unique: true
     t.index ["email"], name: "index_users_on_email", unique: true
     t.index ["encrypted_otp_secret_key"], name: "index_users_on_encrypted_otp_secret_key", unique: true
diff --git a/spec/models/user_spec.rb b/spec/models/user_spec.rb
index 774a7893b..f00aa1c7c 100644
--- a/spec/models/user_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/user_spec.rb
@@ -517,5 +517,14 @@ RSpec.describe User, type: :model do
 
       expect(user.status).to eq(:active)
     end
+
+    context "when the user is deleted" do
+      let(:user) { create(:user, discarded_at: Time.zone.yesterday) }
+
+      it "returns the status of the user" do
+        user.destroy!
+        expect(user.status).to eq(:deleted)
+      end
+    end
   end
 end