 |
| Adriana Couch |
The family of a teenager who died by suicide after a video of her assault was posted online is suing the school.
The family of a New Jersey teen who died by suicide after a video of her being assaulted at her high school was posted online has filed a lawsuit against the Board of Education and school officials, attorneys for the family said Monday.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Adriana Couch's family against the Central Regional Board of Education and others, alleges that officials were aware of a "culture of violence at Central Regional High School" and failed to protect it, the attorneys said.
Adriana took her own life after she was attacked by at least one other student at her high school last year and after a video of the attack was posted online.
The family's lawyers said in a statement that the assault and video "led to her public humiliation and eventual suicide."
Adriana's death sparked strikes at Central Regional High School, located in the Jersey Shore town of Berkeley. District Director Triantaphilos Parlabanides resigned.
Video obtained by NBC New York showed Adriana was struck without warning in the face by someone holding a water bottle near the lobby lockers before the attack continued. The lawsuit alleges that two students attacked her and two others recorded her.
Four students were criminally charged.
The lawsuit was filed this week in Ocean County, the school district. The Central Regional Board of Education names Parlabanides, the high school principal, an assistant principal, and others.
The lawsuit alleges that they and others should have known that the students were being assaulted at school and were "recorded and posted on various social media sites by other students."
The lawsuit was filed days before the anniversary of Adriana's death. She was attacked on February 1, 2023, and was found dead in her Bayville home two days later.
"Adriana was the light of our lives, and one year after her horrific, needless death, we are still waiting for justice," her father, Michael Koch, said in a statement.
The civil complaint seeks unspecified damages for allegations that include negligence, defamation, and infliction of emotional distress. It is also seeking unspecified punitive damages.
Online court records did not list an attorney for any of the defendants. A voicemail left with the Board of Education's Business Department late Monday was not immediately returned.
The school district said it took action to address bullying after Adrianna's death.
The district declined to comment to NBC New York, saying that it had yet to receive a copy of the complaint and that the school board would be limited in what it could say because of litigation.
Post a Comment