Cudahy High School: Suicide and Bullying

Fifteen-year-old Alida Guerrero killed herself.

She's the third Cudahy High School student to commit suicide in 13 months.

In Alida's case, her family says that she was bullied severely, leading to her death. According to her family, school officials failed to respond appropriately when they brought the bullying to their attention.

From FOX6 News:

“She dressed Tom-boyish and I know the girl was making fun of her saying she was a lesbian, her and her friends were lesbians because she didn’t come to school in high heels and skirts every day,” said Tatjana Guerrero, the older sister of Alida Guerrero. “I’d do anything to have her back and it’s just hard that I have to think about my life without her.”

The family says they contacted school officials several times about the taunts and threats directed at Elida Guerrero, but they said the were not satisfied with how the school responded.

“They just say walk away walk away that’s all they say,” said Tatjana Guerrero.

...“Who knows how many other children at this point right now are walking around being bullied that may have these thoughts on their mind and nothing is being done,” said Rita Mendez, the grandmother of Alida Guerrero.

Here's video:



Video from TMJ4:

Those who knew Alida Guerrero are angry with school officials who they claim knew about the bullying, but didn't do enough to stop it.

They say they want to see a policy change at the school and they want to see someone held accountable for not taking action.

Guerrero's father, Chris, tells Today's TMJ4's Todd Hicks that he spoke with school administrators a number of times about the situation, and they suggested he put his daughter in another school district.

Chris Guerrero says that wasn't a good option, considering their home's proximity to Cudahy High School.

What really happened here?

Who knows?

If administrators did behave as the Guerrero family says, I can understand why Alida's family and friends would be demanding that Cudahy High School officials be held accountable for their failure to address the bullying.

No student should be told to switch schools because other students are acting like thugs and mistreating her.

That's not an anti-bullying policy. That's completely avoiding the problem.

Sadly, Alida chose to take her own life. She made that choice. She killed herself. She chose to die. It's very, very sad. My heart goes out to her family and friends as they attempt to come to terms with what happened.

The reality is Alida is responsible for her actions.

The school officials and the bullies are responsible for their actions as well.

Alida was being tormented. It's simple. The cruel, despicable people doing the bullying should not be permitted to torture others at school.

Why is that so difficult for school staff to understand?

They blame the victim rather than punish the torturers. That's wrong.

Why do they blame the abused?

It's easier that way.

Yeah, just ignore the bullying or switch schools. That's the solution.

No.

The solution is for the adults, the alleged professional educators, to take the matter seriously.

No happy, healthy person relentlessly bullies another person. Harassing someone is a truly sick thing to do. Taking pleasure in daily mocking and harassment is not something a decent, moral person with a well-developed conscience would do.

These thugs should be tossed out of the school. Their cruelty should not be tolerated or dismissed by the adults. They are completely in the wrong.

There are students at Cudahy High School who know they tortured Alida.

Parents of Cudahy High School students, did your kid take part in the bullying of Alida or other kids? Whether the parents know it or not, their children are conscienceless thugs. That's not something parents would want to admit, that they raised children who enjoy making others suffer.

Yes, it's much easier to just blame the victim and ignore the seriousness of the abuse. I don't buy the "kids will be kids" crap. Cruelty and abuse is unacceptable behavior.

Now that Alida is dead, will the heartless, anti-social punks find a new target?

It's highly likely if what Alida's father says is true. Apparently, extreme bullying seems to be tolerated by the staff at Cudahy High School.

That's a disgrace.

Everyone must be held accountable for their actions.

I don't know how bullies and their enablers can live with themselves.

It must be easy to live without a conscience.

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Read: "Is Bullying a Real Problem in Cudahy?" by Heather Liban.