In Mount Holly, New Jersey, an 11-year-old girl’s suicide has become the nucleus of a lawsuit against her school district.
Felicia LoAlbo-Melendez, a student at F.W. Holbein Middle School, ended her life after a protracted battle with bullying from her peers. The young girl was found unresponsive in a school bathroom on Feb 6th, 2023, just two weeks after her father passed away from cancer. She died on February 8th, 2023.
The details surrounding the circumstances of LoAlbo-Melendez’s death have catalyzed her family to take legal action, alleging that the middle school failed to address the serious reports of bullying that they claim directly contributed to her decision to take her own life. The lawsuit states that the persistent bullying escalated to physical and emotional abuse, including being mocked, called slurs, and being socially isolated. Even more disturbing, the young girl had water poured on her chair to humiliate her while classmates laughed, according to court documents.
Loalbo-Meléndez emailed teachers and school officials seeking help as she faced ongoing harassment. Her pleas for help appear to have gone unheeded as the bullying persisted. The lawsuit alleges that the school was aware of the severity of the issue, yet did not take adequate measures to protect her.
The number of bullying incidents at F.W. Holbein Middle School had nearly doubled from the previous year, suggesting a rising trend in such occurrences at the institution. Despite this alarming increase, the school’s response has been brought into question by this tragic event.
The lawsuit’s exposure has cast a spotlight on other similar cases, underscoring a concerning pattern within educational institutions. In a parallel incident, a California family received a $27 million settlement after their son, Diego Stolz, died following an assault by fellow students at his school, which the lawsuit alleged had failed to protect him from known bullies.
The grief-stricken family of LoAlbo-Melendez argues that her middle school not only ignored the bullying but also her ethnic background and perceived sexual orientation as factors that intensified the bullying. The young girl was also physically assaulted, having been pushed down stairs and her hair cut against her will by her classmates.
Felicia’s mother, Elaina LoAlbo, has emphasized that the relentless bullying her daughter suffered was well-known to school authorities. She said that her daughter had been a target of mockery and various slurs over a prolonged period, which was reported to the school’s administration. As the lawsuit claims, the administration’s inaction forms the basis of the mother’s legal pursuit against the school district.