New Jersey school superintendent RESIGNS after smearing bullied teenager Adriana Kuch who took her life when video of her being beaten in hallway went viral
- Superintendent of a New Jersey school district, where a 14-year-old girl committed suicide two days after video of bullying surfaced online, has resigned
- The announcement came one day after the funeral services were held for the victim, Adriana Kuch
- The freshman was a victim of a premeditated bullying incident in which four classmates allegedly participated in either attacking or recording the attack
The superintendent of the New Jersey school district where a 14-year-old student died by suicide two days after a video of her being bullied was posted online has resigned.
Adriana Kuch, a freshman at Central Regional High School in Berkeley Township, took her own life following a premeditated bullying incident involving four of her schoolmates.
The girls involved in the attack had already been suspended indefinitely before they were charged for the incident.
Superintendent Dr. Triantafillos Parlapanides, stepped down on Saturday from the $190,000-a-year role, a day after a funeral home opened its doors for visitation to allow people to pay their respects to the teenager.
Parlapanides resignation follows a series of interviews that caught the attention of the school board including some with DailyMail.com in which he made comments regarding Adriana’s behavior and possible drug use, which prompted action from the board.
Superintendent Dr. Triantafillos Parlapanides stepped down on Saturday, a day after the funeral services were held for the teenager
New Jersey teenager Adriana Kuch, 14, took her own life after she was relentlessly bullied just days after a video showing her being punched and kicked at school was circulated online
This is the email response Parlapanides provided to DailyMail.com when asked what counseling Adriana had been given. He claimed her ‘choices declined’, that her mother committed suicide ‘since her father had an affair’
‘The Central Regional School District Board of Education has accepted the resignation of Dr. Triantafillos Parlapanides,’ the board said in a statement on Saturday evening.
‘The Central Regional family continues to mourn the loss of one of our children. We are all praying for the family and loved ones and our entire community. The Central Regional School District is evaluating all current and past allegations of bullying.
‘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 staff. Dr. Douglas Corbett is acting Superintendent effective immediately.’
Parlapanides told DailyMail.com personally, ‘Her father was having an affair at the end of her 6th grade. Her father married the woman he had an affair with and moved her into the house.’
He continued, ‘Her grades and choices declined in 7th and 8th grade. We offered her drug rehab and mental services on five occasions but the father refused every time.’
Sneaking out of his office at the Ocean County school, the embattled school Superintendent told DailyMail.com that he had ‘nothing more to say’ when asked whether his earlier comments were an attempt to steer blame away from the administration and whether he believed them to be insensitive.
Students and parents congregated outside the school grounds on Friday holding signs of protest in what they described to be ‘a shocking lack of sensitivity’ and action from the ‘administration who swore to protect’ them.
Parlapanides did his best to avoid answering DailyMail.com’s questioning on Friday afternoon
The embattled school Superintendent told DailyMail.com that he had ‘nothing more to say’
The officer of now former Superintendent Triantafillos Parlapanides is pictured, above
Central Regional High School in Bayville, New Jersey
Students from the Central Regional High School are protesting over the suicide of Adriana due to bullying, as seen on Friday
Students and parents congregated outside the school grounds holding signs of protest
The four students allegedly involved in tormenting and bullying Adriana have now been charged prosecutors said on Saturday.
The 20-second viral clip shows several students attacking the teen and hitting her with a water bottle as she walked with her boyfriend. Bystanders are also seen laughing at Adriana after she was punched, kicked and had her hair pulled, while she lay in the fetal position on the floor of the school hallway.
One of the attackers could be heard yelling, ‘That’s what you get you stupid a** b****.’
One juvenile was charged with aggravated assault, two were charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated assault and one was charged with harassment, prosecutors in Ocean County, New Jersey, said.
All four juveniles and their guardians were given copies of the complaints and they were released pending future court appearances, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said in an email Saturday.
The family of Adriana Kuch found her body on February 3, two days after her beating beside school lockers at Central Regional High School in Bayville, her father has said.
According to her father Kuch was ‘smashed in the face three times with a water bottle’ and ‘blacked out.’ He then had to take his blood covered daughter to the police station to file a report because the school refused to do so
Michael Kuch, shown here on Friday at his daughter’s visitation, told DailyMail.com that he in discussions with a family lawyer regarding the family’s next legal steps
Michael Kuch speaking to DailyMail.com outside of his daughter’s visitation
Her father, Michael Kuch, said Adriana had been hit with a 20-ounce water bottle.
She received care from the school nurse after the attack left her with bruises and wounds.
‘I do know why it happened,’ he said. ‘It happened because these two haven´t liked each other for a couple years, and she had been threatening my daughter online.’
After students at the high school participated in a walkout on Wednesday, District Superintendent Triantafillos Parlapanides wrote in a letter to parents that the protest interfered with ‘the learning process’ and future ‘rallies’ will need prior approval from the administration.
In astonishing emails to DailyMail.com Triantafillos Parlapanides, the Superintendent of Central Regional School District, said Adriana – who killed herself in her bedroom closet on February 3 two days after being beaten – had been offered counseling ‘for drugs’
‘I spoke with the student protestors in front of the school on Wednesday and offered to sit down and meet with them to discuss their concerns,’ said the prosecutor, Billhimer, who was at the high school again on Friday to meet with protest organizers for more than two hours.
Billhimer said he discussed ways to improve the district’s response to school ‘incidents’ during a meeting on Saturday with Parlapanides.
‘I also shared some suggestions regarding staff changes as well as programming and services to respond to the needs of the students,’ Billhimer wrote.
Adriana was born in Toledo, Ohio, and moved to Bayville seven years ago, according to her obituary.
She was described as an animal lover and a girl who helped children with special needs.
The 14-year-old was said to be a nature lover who loved to go on walks with her brothers
Michael Kuch told DailyMail.com that his daughter had been told not to come back to school in case she was bullied further over her injured face.
He went on to describe the administration at Central Regional High School in Berkeley Township, New Jersey, as a ‘cancer’ after the superintendent blamed the dad’s ‘poor choices’ and alleged ‘affair’ for his daughter’s tragic death.
Adriana’s dad was speaking at a visitation at the Mastapeter Memorial Home in Bayville for his daughter on Friday night, where hundreds came to pay their respects to the teenager.
Michael told DailyMail.com that he in discussions with a family lawyer regarding the family’s next legal steps. He also said that attorneys from across the country have been in contact with him.
‘We can’t stop crying this is the last time I’m ever going to see her.
‘It was not supposed to happen we heard it over and over again your child isn’t supposed to go before you,’ Michael wept.
On Friday, Kuch said of Parlapanides, ‘What’s insensitive is him going on social media and defending his actions and attacking other people.
Adriana killed herself sometime after 10.46pm on February 2nd
‘The administration needs to be completely shaken up and by shaken up I mean they need to be removed,’ he added.
Kuch continued, ‘I don’t know why he’s been there that long I have no idea why that man still has a job.’
The teen’s dad went on to rail against the school’s management repeatedly calling them incompetent and saying that the school didn’t want to expel his daughter’s tormentors because they were worried about loss in revenue.
He said, ‘If my daughter is only worth $23,000 a head to them then because they would lose four students then what is anybody’s kid worth.’
The grieving father said that he had to wait until the video was posted online to see the attack as the school management wouldn’t show it to him.
He added, ‘I think the superintendent should be charged with obstruction of justice.’
Adriana Kuch was described online as a ‘one-of-a-kind kid’ who was the ‘spitfire’ of her family
Michael Kuch’s sister-in-law Sami Nye told DailyMail.com in a prepared statement, ‘Adriana to the public, Age to her friends, sissy to her family we love you. The love and joy that you brought to our family will never be forgotten.
‘For those of you who did not know Adriana she was our spitfire. She was stubborn, funny and charismatic, and would light up any room she walked into.’
‘She loved exploring the woods, hanging out with friends and spending time with her brothers on summer break. She befriended the one’s that needed friends the most.’
‘Adriana also loved animals and loved trying new hobbies. Losing her has been the most painful thing imaginable we wish that she was still here and wish we could make new experiences with her.’
‘And cherish new memories. More laughs more moments and more smiles. And even for the debates and disagreements. As those would mean that she was still here.
She concluded by saying, ‘Instead we are left broken hearted and wondering what she would have achieved in life that she had a future with us.’
Nye then thanked those who have reached out and offered support to the family.
Adriana with her boyfriend Jason, who tried to pull the other girls off her and protect her
Amanda Ramirez, mother of Nevaeh Alvarez Ramirez a student who took part in a protest following Adrianna’s death told DailyMail.com as she mourned the loss of the ‘beautiful’ 14-year-old at Friday’s visitation said that she supports the students speaking out about bullying.
‘I 100 percent support her it’s just hard to watch these kids hurting they just want to be heard,’ she said.
She was appalled by the lack of sensitivity shown by the school saying there was ‘no moment of silence or assembly’ for the students or staff to process the horrific death.
‘It was just like swept under the rug they talk about how ‘oh if you’re fighting there will be consequences’ but a kid is gone because nobody did anything,’ she said.
‘The fact that she was beat up on school premises, she blacked out, that her parents weren’t called, that an ambulance wasn’t called… a kid blacked out that is a medical emergency.
‘Her hair was ripped out and on the floor like it’s just disgusting and I hurt because I have a lot of respect for teachers there, but hearing that some of them saying it ‘wasn’t a big deal’ that’s, uh, a lot it’s just mental health is so serious.’
Kuch was just a freshman at Central Regional High School in Bayville, New Jersey
Trisha Tucker, who had also been paying her respects at the visitation told DailyMail.com that her daughter had also been bullied at the school.
‘My daughter was being bullied from September/October and I’d been to the freshman principal numerous times told me that it was being handled, my daughter went from being an honor role student to dropping out of marching band to failing her classes and not even wanting to go to school,’ she said.
‘Now she’s cutting herself so yeah they don’t do a damn thing they don’t care about these kids they’re going to sweep it under the rug so they aren’t embarrassed.’
Kuch was just a freshman at Central Regional High School in Bayville, where her family moved seven years ago after repeatedly having to locate because her father was an Army Airborne soldier serving the country.
Adriana’s bruised legs after the attack. Her father said she was mostly ‘humiliated’ by the video, which made her feel like she’d been attacked ‘twice’
An obituary posted online says the 14-year-old ‘adored all animals, she helped children with special needs, she loved jogging with her brothers and was a true nature lover.
‘Adriana also enjoyed her walks in the woods, skateboarding, riding dune buggies and dirt bikes,’ it continues.
Her sister-in-law, Jennifer Ferro, also posted online that Adriana was a ‘one-of-a-kind kid.
‘Our family and her parents would describe her as a beautiful girl who was happy, funny, stubborn, strong, loved animals, could make friends easily [and] would draw all time time.
‘She loved going on runs with her older brother and our dogs when she came to visit us during the summer, and she always wanted to try out new hobbies… but would get tired of them fast.
‘She talked about how she wanted to be a tattoo artist when she turns 18, and although I didn’t take it seriously in the past, I really wish I could’ve seen what that future was like to know he still had a future,’ Ferro continued.
‘Sissy was our family’s spitfire, and although she had her moments (the good, bad and ugly) we loved her more than life itself and are heartbroken knowing she’s gone.’
A wake was set for Friday at the Mastapeter Memorial Home in Bayville where a private funeral will take place.
Adriana was predeceased by her mother, Brandy, and is survived by her father, Michael, and step-mother, Sarah, as well as eight siblings.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional help and information.
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