BERKELEY TOWNSHIP, NJ (PIX11) — Four students involved in an attack on a 14-year-old New Jersey girl who later killed herself have been suspended, the district superintendent said Thursday.
Adriana Kuch was found dead on Friday, two days after she was beaten in a caught-on-video attack at Central Regional High School, her father and local officials said. The teen’s father, Michael Kuch, said the girls “planned and executed” the bullying.
“If you watch the videos I have, they are laughing while talking about what they are going to do at the start of the video,” Kuch posted on Facebook.
He first saw the video before his daughter’s death. Kuch said he “called everyone and no action was taken by anyone.”
The dad wrote that his daughter, who blacked out, was taken to the school nurse. He said the school did not file a police report, so he took his bloodied daughter to the station himself. Superintendent Triantafillos Parlapanides told News12 that school policy is to let parents contact police rather than having the school file a police report.
“We normally just suspend. If a parent wants to press charges they can with the police. But we’re not going to double-whammy a kid where they are suspended and then police charges as well,” Parlapanides told the news outlet.
Berkeley Township police referred PIX11 News to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office. The prosecutor’s office has not responded to a request for comment.
“I want the entire world to know what these animals did to my daughter,” Kuch wrote on Facebook. “I will not sleep until their family has to watch them stand in front of a judge and plead guilty.”
There was a moment of silence at the school on Wednesday, Parlapanides said. Some students also held a rally outside.
Kuch loved animals and nature, according to an obituary. She enjoyed jogging with her brothers and skateboarding.
A visitation has been scheduled for Friday.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) . It is a free, 24/7 service that offers support, information, and local resources. You can also click here for additional hotlines within your state.
