BERKELEY HEIGHTS, N.J. (TCD) — Four juvenile students are facing charges for attacking a 14-year-old girl who killed herself days after the recorded fight.
NJ.com reports Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer announced he is charging one student with aggravated assault, two with conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, and one with harassment in connection with the Feb. 1 attack on Adriana Kuch.
A classmate reportedly recorded the altercation at Central Regional High School, and the video made its way online. Kuch died by suicide Feb. 3.
According to NJ.com, the video showed Kuch walking down the hallway as a girl walked up to her and started hitting her repeatedly with a water bottle. Kuch fell to the ground, and the girl kept punching her and pulling her hair.
Students reportedly cheered in the background as she was beaten up.
Central Regional High School employees broke up the fight moments later and sent Kuch to the nurse. They reportedly did not tell police about the incident. Kuch reportedly had bruises all over her body.
Superintendent Dr. Triantafillos Parlapanides told News 12 New Jersey that school protocol does not typically involve contacting police.
Parlapanides said, “I don’t believe a police report was done. 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.”
NBC New York reports about 200 students walked out of class to protest the school administration’s inaction and to draw attention to the issue of bullying.
On Feb. 11, the Central Regional School District announced Parlapanides resigned as superintendent.
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