New Jersey school accused of mishandling bullying concerns after teen's suicide
New Jersey student Emily Strick and her mother Jo Siclari joined 'Fox & Friends' to discuss the incident and broader concerns surrounding bullying in the district.
This story may contain details that are disturbing. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.
A New Jersey community is still reeling over the death of a 14-year-old girl who took her own life, as critics accuse the school district of ignoring and mishandling bullying concerns.
After the tragic death of Adriana Kuch, more students have come forward to detail their bullying experiences while attending the Central Regional School District.
Emily Strick is a student in the district and Kuch's former classmate. She joined "Fox & Friends" on Monday to share her story as the district's bullying policies remain under a microscope.
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"I didn't go to school for a full week because in Central you could get jumped very easily," Strick told Ainsley Earhardt. "I didn't want to go. I was terrified. There were rumors and everything you can imagine. I'm not sure if the bullies got punished, but I'm pretty sure they did not."
She said the bullying was "absolutely terrible" and it was "unbelievable" that the district didn't take action.
Adriana Kuch is remembered as "a beautiful girl who was happy, funny, stubborn, and strong." (Michael Kuch)
The superintendent, Dr. Triantafilos Parlapanides, resigned in the wake of Kuch's suicide.
"The Central Regional School District Board of Education has accepted the resignation of Dr. Triantafilos Parlapanides." The Central Regional School District of Education wrote in a statement. "The Central Regional family continues to mourn the loss of one of our children. We are all praying for the family and loved one and our entire community."
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Strick's mother, Jo Siclari, said she went to the school, the district, and the police department to sound the alarm on what was happening to her daughter, but received no response.
"I went to the school and went to the police and file reports," Siclari said. "I wrote letters to the Board of Education and the superintendent. I sent everything certified actually, at the advice of Diane Grossman, who created Mallory's Law after her daughter committed suicide, and I got no response."
Strick noted she is unsure if her bullies were ever reprimanded.
"It makes me very angry. I mean, sending our children to school every day should not be a liability, and they're the people that are there," Siclari said. "We're not there as parents, so we expect them to be our stand-ins when they have our children in the building."
The district released a statement over the weekend addressing the community's concerns surrounding its bullying policies saying, "The Central Regional School District is evaluating all current and past allegations of bullying."
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The statement continued, "The district has contacted the Department of Education and will undergo an independent assessment of the district's anti-bullying policies and ensure every necessary safeguard is in place to protect our students and our staff."
Kuch took her own life on Feb. 3 after a shocking video circulated online showing her being viciously attacked in the school hallway.
Her father has been an outspoken critic of Ocean County's Central Regional High School, slamming the school for how it handled the incident and demanding action over his daughter's death.
"I'm livid," Michael Kuch shared with Fox News Digital on Friday. "I blame the girls and the school and the cops. I want everyone to know what happened to her, I want justice, as much attention, so they can’t ignore it."
Four students were suspended indefinitely and charged in connection with the attack,.
Fox News' Sarah Rumpf contributed to this report.
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