‘That girl should still be alive’: Hundreds condemn NJ school for ‘bullying culture’

NEW JERSEY — Emotions ran high in the auditorium of a New Jersey high school Thursday night as dozens of students and parents, one by one, stood in front of a microphone to address what they call a “culture bullying” inside the school where a 14-year-old freshman was attacked in a hallway and tormented on social media days before killing herself.

With many people lining up to speak, the school board meeting held at Bayville Central Regional High School stretched past 11:00 p.m. Filled with anger and even fear, the During an emotionally painful night, students and parents were able to speak directly with district officials for the first time since the death of Adriana Kuch on February 3.

They all mentioned the same thing: solving the problem.

“You have to make a change, now. This girl should still be alive, she shouldn’t have had to kill herself,” said a former student to the applause of the audience.

A video showing a brutal hallway attack on Kuch by fellow students surfaced online and quickly circulated throughout the school community. Two days later, Adriana committed suicide and her family found her inside their home.

Kuch’s father, who expressed frustration with the school’s handling of his daughter’s case, said the video, a clip of just 50 seconds, led her to take her own life.

“She was on the floor, passed out and you didn’t do anything. You could have stopped her,” a friend of Kuch’s told the school board. “She made numerous reports about how she was being harassed and you just sat there and did nothing.”

Another girl cried in memory of Kuch, calling her “such a sweet little girl. She was bullied, harassed and made fun of after she died.”

Adriana Kuch’s death has caused something of a domino effect as the community, and now much of the United States, crumbles.

In the first days after the 14-year-old took her own life, students took part in a day-long strike to protest against her administration, and many of her parents were there to support them. Four students allegedly involved in the attack have been suspended indefinitely and later criminally charged.

A day ago, more than a dozen motorcyclists showed their support for the anti-bullying campaign at Central Regional High School, honking their horns as they rode past protesters chanting “She matters!”

Still mourning their classmate, the students took to the microphone on Thursday to say the problem is even bigger than what happened to Adriana. Story after story of students who suffered, some of whom said they were also contemplating suicide after being brutally bullied in high school.

“I’ve been bullied every day since I’ve been in this school since seventh grade. People in this room even laughed at me and I don’t even know why they’re here,” Milo said. , 16 years old. Lugo.

Others recalled similar murderous experiences and were told by fellow students that they should kill themselves. Others said they were even afraid to walk down the hallways.

“Honestly, I also had the same experience. I was hospitalized because I felt like I was being harassed a lot,” said former student Kira Reeder.

“You are here to protect the students, but the students don’t feel protected,” said one female student, referring to a common sentiment among her classmates. Another girl said she was bullied but “nothing was done about it”.

Parents called it a culture of violence and bullying that has lasted for decades.

“It wouldn’t take a child committing suicide for us to change,” said one parent.

Yolanda Vásquez with an update.

Stories of bullying by students are emerging after a mother claimed her son was beaten so badly four years ago while studying there that he suffered brain damage and broken bones. Her son was transferred but still suffers from PTSD, she says.

She claimed another student and her father were responsible, and both were later arrested. Now this student’s mother and father’s wife sit on the school board.

More videos of other high school bullying incidents have surfaced. A video from 2022 shows a girl, her arm in a sling due to a shoulder injury during a wrestling match, being assaulted. The student’s mother said she had to send her daughter to an out-of-district school after her abusers were suspended for just 10 days.

In another attack the same year, the victim also had to be moved.

At a news conference Thursday afternoon, the acting superintendent said the district followed state law in its anti-bullying efforts and would do more to prevent it in the future. But he insisted bullying was not the norm.

“Based on our data alone, this does not indicate that we are a culture of violence. We do not condone this,” Acting Superintendent Douglas Corbett said.

Many at the meeting said they wanted new leadership in the district, from the top down. While the former superintendent has already resigned amid the fallout, parents and students say they also want the new acting superintendent to resign.

“How am I supposed to trust you when some of you sitting there are stalkers?” said mother Traci Rocco.

If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, there are resources to help. You can contact Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling 988. The National Suicide Prevention Line is available 24 hours a day with resources in Spanish at 1-800-273-8255 and offers services on its website that include a chat live. Click here for more information: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/help-yourself/en-espanol/