Mother Says School District Is Ignoring “Pattern” Of Child’s bullying before suicide

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The New Jersey parents of a 12-year-old girl who killed herself, claim that she was bullied online for months. The Mother says that the school district did nothing to stop it and now, they plan to sue.

“She’s just your average American little girl — she’s what you hope your children will grow up to be, that’s who Mallory is,” said Diane Grossman, whose 12-year-old daughter, Mallory, committed suicide in June.

Weeks after her daughter’s suicide, Grossman made it clear who she held responsible for her daughters death – the school.

“There was a pattern, a regular history pattern of who the school district dismissing my concerns,” Grossman said.

Mallory, who was a gymnast and a cheerleader, killed herself a week before finishing sixth grade after months and months of allegedly relentless bullying.

Grossman said that her daughter was bullied in person, through texts, on Snapchat and Instagram by her classmates at Copeland Middle School. She said the messages were nasty and mean.

“In the beginning, it was just teasing, it was name-calling, it was exclusion was an important part. ‘You can’t sit here … you’re not welcome at this table,‘” Grossman said.

The Mother said she tried to talk with other kids’ parents, however her concerns were dismissed. She also complained to administrators at the school about the alleged cyberbullying, hours before her daughter died.

Grossman hopes “to set accountability” with this lawsuit. “So maybe teachers and administrators will think twice before sweep things under the rug.”

Grossman said that officials still have not filed any harassment, intimidation or bullying reports, which are known as HIB reports, with the state over any of the incidents in which her daughter was bullied.

The school declined to comment on what is still an ongoing investigation.  They, however, said their own self-assessment of bullying “has met and exceeded expectations.”