Mental health has been completely overlooked all throughout history. Thankfully though, in recent years, it has become more normalized and recognized in places of work and on social media. However, schools seem to have not picked this up.
Felicia LoAlbo-Melendez was only 11-years-old when she committed suicide after incessant bullying that was brought up to the school and her teachers. Her mother is now suing the school, located in Mount Holly, for negligence.
Throughout her fifth and sixth grade years, LoAlbo-Melendez was the victim of bullying both in person and online. Her so-called ‘peers’ threw comments like “ugly” and “gay” at her, and USA Today is reporting that she “was excluded from social activities based on her position that ‘love is love and that she could love another of the same or different gender.’”
Children these days are often not disciplined or held accountable for their actions, which in cases like this one, can result in relentless bullying that faces no consequences and leaves someone incredibly hurt.
Other 11-year-olds poured water on her chair to make it look like she had wet her pants, harassed her online and told her to kill herself.
LoAlbo-Melendez had emailed the school and her teachers about this ongoing bullying, yet nothing was ever done. She even requested to form a “trauma club” at school for herself and other students suffering from the same torment. There is no way that the people who work at this school had no idea what was going on.
Her mother’s attempts to help her daughter were not taken seriously either, including a promise from the school to switch LoAlbo-Melendez’s classes around so she would not see her bullies.
The obvious issue here is that no one in the school did anything to help this poor, suffering child. As someone with friends and family who are educators, I am appalled by the lack of awareness and action taken by these teachers.
But there is another problem with this situation that must not be brushed over: why are 11-year-olds telling others to kill themselves because of their sexuality, ideals or interests?
The answer to that question is their upbringing. Children these days are often not disciplined or held accountable for their actions, which in cases like this one, can result in relentless bullying that faces no consequences and leaves someone incredibly hurt.
I have seen cases where children bully others and when the parents are contacted, they instead get upset with the messenger for bothering them during their day or for reprimanding their child. The kid doing the damage is not scolded, nor are they taught how to properly treat people.
Absolutely no one attempted to help LoAlbo-Melendez aside from her mother and her friends. Educators should have had her back. The children doing the bullying should have been spoken to. Administrators should have followed through with their claims to help.
In 2021, LoAlbo-Melendez recorded a voice memo which said, “Unless you’re me, well you’re listening to this from the future. Say hello to future Mom, future Dad… future everyone. Never, never, never be bad, never give up on your friends, never, ever… be a bully.”
I fully support the suing of the school in their disregard of the situation and I hope to see justice for Felicia. Thoughts and prayers will never be enough: we need real change, and we need to hold people accountable for their unmistakable negligence.
ajones11@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of RDNE Stock Project, Pexels
