An 11-year-old New Jersey student named Felicia LoAlbo-Melendez attempted suicide on February 6 in a school restroom as a result of bullying. She was discovered by a different student, who then took her to a hospital in Philadelphia that was close by, where she later died.
Her father, Detective Alexis Melendez of the New Jersey Transit Police, had died of pancreatic cancer just two weeks earlier. It also happened soon after she reported bullying to school administrators; regrettably, her pleas for assistance were largely ignored.
She had described the incidents in detail in a number of emails to the administration, but no one ever questioned her. They “swept under the rug the bullying she and many other students in that school experienced, and now they’re doing the same with this investigation,” according to her mother, Elaina LoAlbo.
Just days after reporting bullying to school officials, an 11-year-old New Jersey student commits suicide in the restroom of her school.
A Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office investigation found that she was by herself when she passed away in the restroom, but no school officials were held accountable for their failure to stop the bullying as a result of this failure. They’re deliberating whether to throw out the case right now.
In one of her daughter’s emails, Elaina forwarded a suggestion to the school’s leaders. I was watching TV and thinking about the past when I had a brilliant idea. A trauma club instead of a theater club would exist. I would lend a hand and provide whatever assistance I could. “.
She continued by saying that other students at the school were bullied in addition to her daughter. Felicia wrote in her email that all she would need was a room and some chairs, and that she thought it would be wonderful because she had heard about similar experiences from friends and other people”.
Within days of informing school authorities about bullying, an 11-year-old New Jersey student commits suicide in the restroom.
Elaina expressed her worry that detectives and school administrators were dismissing her daughter’s issue without conducting a thorough investigation in a Facebook post. She wants to see that something is done because she wants to ensure that her daughter’s voice is heard and that no other parent finds themselves in a similar situation.
Mental suffering, emotional distress, physical harm, and, in extreme circumstances, death are a few examples of the effects of bullying. In a post on Facebook, she urged people to stop bullying, writing, “It MUST STOP PERIOD, whether the child who was being bullied committed suicide or was physically hurt by their bully.
Felicia’s friend’s father, Seth Turner, spoke at a school board meeting in March and praised Felicia as one of the smartest kids he had ever met. His daughter had alerted him to the bullying that Felicia was experiencing. He now regrets not alerting the instructors in time for action. ‘.
Our reaction to this tragedy has been pitiful, Seth said. However, there will never be a truly adequate response to the death of an 11-year-old girl. Felicia is deserving of better treatment. I hope we can provide her with the exhaustive inquiry, full accounting, and the truth she deserves“.
Just a few days after complaining about bullying to school officials, an 11-year-old New Jersey student commits suicide in the school bathroom.
According to her obituary, Felicia LoAlbo-Melendez enjoyed reading, crafts, Halloween, Krav Maga (an Israeli martial art), anime, theater, and Halloween. She loved going on adventures, learning new things, and letting her imagination run wild. Along with her mother, two older brothers, and a sizable number of aunts, uncles, and cousins, she is still alive.
She was the kind of compassionate person that everyone wants to be. Felicia was genuinely good and selfless, and her positive outlook made people feel better. Her obituary stated that she was a devoted daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, cousin, and friend who will be sorely missed. ”. Now maybe her voice will be heard!