Father of Adriana Kuch demands accountability for school bullies
WARNING: Sensitive content—Adriana Kuch's father, Michael Kuch, spoke about his daughter's death, calling for laws to protect children from bullying on 'Lawrence Jones Cross Country.'
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.
Prosecutors added another criminal charge to one of the four juveniles who allegedly attacked Adriana Kuch in a New Jersey school hallway during a bullying incident.
The assault was recorded and shared on social media on Feb. 1, which intensified the harassment until the 14-year-old girl took her own life two days later.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said that one of Kuch's alleged attackers was charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated assault this week and was added to the already filed harassment complaint.
The juvenile was served a copy of that complaint and was released pending future court appearances, Billhimer said.
ADRIANA KUCH DEATH: NJ PARENTS, STUDENTS ERUPT AT SCHOOL BOARD MEETING AFTER BULLIED TEEN'S SUICIDE
Adriana Kuch is remembered as "a beautiful girl who was happy, funny, stubborn, and strong." (Michael Kuch)
All of the suspects are underage, so their names remain sealed.
As of Thursday afternoon, one of the four juveniles was charged with aggravated assault, two others were charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, and the fourth was charged with harassment.
Kuch's suicide sent shockwaves through the Central Regional School District and the community.
Tempers flared during the district's Feb. 16 school board meeting, when dozens of students and parents came forward about bullying incidents that ranged from bigoted insults to violence.
Central Regional Superintendent Triantafillos Parlapanides resigned amidst the backlash and was replaced by Douglas Corbett.
Corbett said before last Thursday's meeting that he doesn't believe there is a culture of violence and bullying in the district, which contradicted the dozens of stories that parents and students told the school board.
Speakers included Adriana's friend, Hailie Engesser, who said during the meeting that she was bullied herself and reported it to the district to no avail.
"I’ve just been told to ignore it, to be the bigger person, walk away," she said.
Pictures show injuries Adriana Kuch, a 14-year-old New Jersey high school student, suffered during an attack in school. She took her own life after video was posted online of a group of girls assaulting her. (Michael Kuch)
There's also legal action against the school district for a nearly identical hallway attack on another student that was recorded and uploaded to social media.
That civil lawsuit is making its way through the courts.
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Before the contentious Board of Education meeting, the school district emailed the media a new "action plan to prevent and combat bullying."
"Everyone at Central Regional School District and High School mourns the loss of Adriana Kuch," Corbett said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends in this difficult time. The circumstances of her passing are disturbing, and we share the community’s shock."
Adriana Kuch in an undated photo. (Michael Kuch)
The nine-point action plan included starting a steering committee and hiring an outside agency to review current bullying policies, reviewing cellphone policies, district training on how to handle bullying situations, and a number of educational measures for students, among other items.
Corbett stressed that the plan is preliminary and fluid.
"These are just a few examples of ideas, and we look forward to developing these and other initiatives further," he said.
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One item noticeably absent from the plan is when officials will call police after there's a physical assault, which didn't happen after Adriana was attacked, and it didn't happen when another student was attacked in January 2022, according to the ongoing lawsuit.
Involving the police was "certainly a topic of discussion," Billhimer told Fox News Digital last week after he met with school officials and students.
