The family of a 14-year-old girl who died by suicide after a video featuring other students brutally beating her went viral has filed a lawsuit against the school district she attended.
Adriana Kuch was attacked by at least one other student at her high school in an incident that was caught on film and posted online, garnering widespread attention and sparking cyberbullying from her peers at Central Regional High School in New Jersey.
It led to her taking her own life, and now, the family is blaming the district for a failure to protect her from what it called "a culture of violence" that everyone in the district, including the Board of Education and administrators, had been aware of.
The family is suing the Board of Education as well as school officials, including former Superintendent Triantafillos Parlapanides, who resigned following the incident and a string of defamation claims launched against him by Kuch's father, Michael.
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The heinous video showed girls in the school brutally beating Adriana (WABC)
Four students were charged in connection with the incident (WABC)Lawyers for the family said the assault and subsequently posted video of the incident "led to [Adriana's] public humiliation and ultimate suicide," which itself led to several walkouts at the school, NBC reported.
The assault occurred on Feb. 1, 2023, and it culminated with Adriana taking her own life in her bedroom on Feb. 3 of that year after suffering from "distress, humiliation and embarrassment," the suit claims, according to lawandcrime.com. The video showed Adriana being struck with a water bottle as she stood in the hallway near some lockers, then showed the onslaught continuing. She had no prior warning.
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Adriana's parents filed a lawsuit against the school district following the tragic death of their daughter, one year after it happened (WABC)Four students from the school were charged with attempted aggravated assault or simply aggravated assault, in the case of one of them, but the family is seeking more in damages and filed the suit against the Central Regional Board of Education, former Superintendent Parlapanides, the principal at the high school as well as the assistant principal and a few others.
The teen lived in Bayville, New Jersey, in Ocean County, according to NBC, which is about 80 miles (129km) south of New York City and 63 miles (101km) east of Philadelphia.
Michael said in a statement obtained by NBC: "Adriana was the light of our lives, and one year after her horrific and needless death, we are still waiting for justice." He also claimed in the suit that the district knew that the attack was "being recorded and posted to various social media sites by other students."
Adriana was described as 'the light' of her family's lives (Michael Kuch/Facebook)All in all, the suit seeks unknown amounts in damages and alleges negligence, defamation and the infliction of emotional distress, according to NBC. Punitive damages sought are also unspecified. The outlet reported that the district had taken action against bullying across its facilities after the tragic death of Adriana.
The defamation stemmed from comments Parlapanides allegedly made to Michael, including stating that he was having an affair and that he had married his mistress and had her moved into the family home when Adriana was in the sixth grade, according to lawandcrime.com. The claims came a mere week after Adriana's funeral.
He also allegedly claimed that Adriana struggled with drug abuse and even gave a false statement to a reporter from The Daily Mail about such. Michael further claimed in the suit that the district did absolutely nothing to help his daughter's mental health amid the abysmal conditions he outlined, which included the "culture of violence" she faced.
The Mirror US has contacted the Central Regional Board of Education for comment but did not immediately hear back.
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For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
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