What to Know
- An NJ high school student’s death by suicide last week has now led to indefinite suspensions of four girls allegedly involved in a hallway attack caught on video that was posted on social media
- The victim, 14-year-old Adriana Kuch, took her own life at her Bayville, New Jersey, home two days later, family and investigators say; they say Central Regional High School handled the situation poorly
- The school district says it followed policy in not filing a police report over the attack, instead taking the girl to the nurse; her father says that’s not good enough and is demanding justice
Silence from local prosecutors in one New Jersey county remained deafening for one family, and many supporters, Friday, as they awaited news on whether criminal charges would be filed against students in a school bullying case that has drawn national headlines, largely for one overwhelming reason: The 14-year-old girl at its center is dead.
Friends and family of Bayville’s Adriana Kuch, a freshman at Central Regional High School in Berkeley Township, prepared to honor her memory later Friday as fallout over video of the horrific attack, and how the school handled both the attack and the existence of the footage, continue to mount.
Kuch’s father, Michael Kuch, said this week that Ocean County prosecutors told him they planned to file criminal charges against at least three of the girls seen on video attacking his daughter last month. Prosecutors said late Thursday that they were “aware of the incident” but couldn’t comment further because the case involves juveniles.
All four girls involved in the attack on Kuch, who took her own life, at her own home, 48 hours after video of the bullying surfaced online, have been suspended indefinitely pending the outcome of the legal process, the district superintendent confirmed Thursday. Kuch’s family members were the ones who found her dead on Feb. 3.
Two days earlier, the hallway attack video was posted to social media. News 4 has obtained that footage (below). WARNING: Note that some viewers may find its contents disturbing.
The footage itself lasts less than a minute. It shows Kuch walking down the hallway with her boyfriend as the kids recording the moment approach them going in the opposite direction. Suddenly, there’s a quick movement from someone near the phone-holder and pink liquid sprays out of a cup, all over Kuch. She is then set upon by at least two people, possibly two, the video shows, slammed into school lockers and surrounded by what is now a trio of attackers.
She crumples on the floor. The three classmates, backpacks swinging, fall over themselves a bit near the lockers, almost stepping on Kuch as she crawls around on the floor, trying to collect herself. Then they start shoving her, dragging her almost along the ground on her knees, raking her against the red school lockers, the white soles of her shoes the only part of her visible underneath her attackers at various points. Then one girl grabs her by the hair.
The violent attack continues for another few seconds before two adults run into the video frame and pull the attackers off Kuch. She is seen writhing on the ground, her hands holding either side of her head as a man stands over her. He then helps the bruised and bloodied girl up. The footage wraps.
While authorities have not publicly connected the attack video post to Kuch’s death, her father Michael has. He says he believes bullying drove his daughter to suicide and eviscerated the school for not calling the cops after the attack, despite the fact he says Adriana blacked out. Taking her to the school nurse alone was insufficient, he says.
District Superintendent Triantafillos Parlapanides told NJ.com the response at Central Regional was in line with policy.
The girl’s father, says if that’s the case, that policy is woefully insufficient. He did file a police report.
Michael Kuch unleashed his own social media messaging, saying he took Adriana Kuch to the cops right after the incident. Had the school launched an investigation at that point, he says, he believes the videos could have been discovered and taken down earlier, potentially preserving his daughter the mortification he says cost her life.
Now he wants the footage seen — widely.
“I want the entire world to know what these animals did to my daughter,” Michael Kuch said.
Parlapanides didn’t address questions about alleged inaction by Central Regional High School on the bullying front, nor did he answer inquiries about the school’s handling of and response to the fight video. He declined comment to News 4 but said in a statement to NJ.com that “the entire district is shaken by the loss of such a young child.”
The school also sent two letters home to parents about Adriana Kuch’s death, one on Monday, the first school day after she took her life, and another one Wednesday, the same day hundreds of students voiced their outrage at the administration over Kuch’s case by walking out of classrooms en masse – from the first bell to the last bell.
The first communication on Monday more or less informed the school community of Kuch’s passing, offered its heartfelt condolences to her family and friends and advised people of crisis counseling and other resources. The second letter (read it in full below) acknowledged some of the frustration behind Wednesday’s demonstrations.
“Since the tragic passing of our student this past Friday, we fully understand that students, staff and the community are hurting for the loss of such a young lady with a bright future,” the letter begins.
It goes on to reference a moment of silence, and the school’s plan to let the students rally in a peaceful, organized manner.
“Unfortunately, however, the student activity began to interfere with the learning process as the day continued,” the letter read. Dismissal was early and a bit chaotic that day, and the district said it would not permit further rallies without prior administrative approval, citing its concern for the “health, safety and well-being for all students.”
She seemed to have been an especially loved student and community member. A neighbor shared video from last summer that shows Adriana Kuch jump into a backyard pool to save a little girl who appeared to be drowning.
“She was like a daughter to me, she was at my house almost every day,” that neighbor, Roxanne Gattuso, said.
A viewing for Adriana Kuch is set for Friday night from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Attendance is reserved for close friends, and minors will not be allowed inside the funeral home unless accompanied by an adult. Funeral services will be private.
If you or someone you know needs help, please contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling 988, call the National Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting ‘Home’ to 741741 anytime.
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