Central Regional HS holds public meeting after student’s suicide raises concerns about bullying

Many former students attended the meeting to tell their stories about being bullied at the school.

News 12 Staff

Feb 17, 2023, 12:29 AM

Updated 606 days ago

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Central Regional High School in Bayville held a meeting Thursday night allowing concerned parents, students and others to express their thoughts and concerns following the death of a 14-year-old freshman who took her own life. The teen’s family says that she was relentlessly bullied.
Many former students attended the meeting to tell their stories about being bullied at the school.
“My experience was nothing but depressing. I will not go into detail about the things that were said to me when I was bullied here because it will just re-traumatize me even more and I already am,” says Emily Bush, class of 2016. “So I would just like to say a big [expletive] you!”
“They told me that I was ugly and fat and that I should kill myself. They sent us pictures of guns and told us that they were going to send people to our house to come rape us,” says Bayville resident Echo McNichols.
News 12 New Jersey previously reported about Adriana Kuch’s death after videos surfaced on social media showing the teen being attacked in her school.
The video sparked days of protests, students asking questions and a superintendent making statements to media outlets found by some to be so offensive that he resigned.
Acting Superintendent Dr. Doug Corbett held a news conference ahead of Thursday’s meeting. Corbett said that he did not believe that there is a culture of violence at the high school.
"I disagree with that, that has not been my experience at all,” Corbett said.
When pressed further, Corbet replied, “Based on our data alone it doesn't indicate a culture of violence. We don't condone that...we do everything in our power to dissuade that.”
Parents criticized Corbett for holding a news conference before parents had their chance to speak at the meeting.
“By holding a private press conference exclusive of the parents before actually giving voice to the parents and this community, is backhanded and offensive. Not only to the parents, but also this community,” one parent said.
A moment of silence honoring Kuch was held before the meeting. Corbett also promised to review anti-bullying policies and said he would listen to suggestions from the community.