The untimely death of 11-year-old Felicia LoAlbo-Melendez of New Jersey has shaken the local community and stirred up a demand to take a deep stand against bullying in schools.
On February 6th, Felicia was discovered unresponsive in a bathroom stall in F.W. Holbein School in Mount Holly and was later verified deceased at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
An autopsy detailed that her passing was a result of suicide.
The tragedy of Felicia’s death was further compounded by the fact that she had recently lost her father, NJ Transit Detective Alexis Melendez, to pancreatic cancer only days before.
Felicia’s mother, Elaina LoAlbo, emailed school leaders to express concerns about the amount of bullying in the school that her daughter had encountered. She has since come out to talk about her wishes that the school had responded to her daughter’s request for help faster.
School board contributors have evaded review on the pending investigation. Schools Superintendent Robert Mungo only released a letter confirming a student’s death without disclosing the name of Felicia or the idea of suicide.
During a school board assembly in March, Seth Turner, the father of one of Felicia’s best friends, came forward to inform the crowd that his daughter had shared with him that Felicia had been an unfortunate victim of bullying by other members of her class.
Tragically, Felicia’s death happened only three days after Adriana Olivia Kuch, a freshman at Central Regional High School in Bayville, New Jersey, ended her life due to being physically and verbally attacked by other students.
The devastating death of Felicia LoAlbo-Melendez has resumed the fight to end bullying in schools and corroborates what is so important to value; mental health resources and assistance for pupils. It is a heartbreaking indication of the detrimental effects of bullying and, equally, a reminder to bring forth our voices and take action whenever obligation calls.