By
The Associated Press
Four students face criminal charges and the superintendent of a New Jersey school district has resigned after a 14-year-old student took her own life after being beaten by her classmates, an assault in the school hallway that was recorded and broadcast in social networks.
One of the girls was charged with
aggravated assault
, two others were charged with
conspiracy
to commit
aggravated assault and the fourth was charged with
stalking
, Ocean County, New Jersey, prosecutors said Saturday.
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The four girls and their guardians were given copies of the indictment and released pending court appearance, Ocean County District Attorney Bradley D. Billhimer told The Associated Press news agency.
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Adriana O. Kuch
's family
found her lifeless body on February 3, two days after she was beaten in the hallway of Central Regional High School in Bayville, according to her father.
"I want the whole world to know what these animals did to my daughter," Michael Kuch said, as reported by NBC New York.
"Adriana took her own life because no one at the school was able to help or care or intervene," Roman Valez, a sophomore at the school, told the same outlet.
The Central Regional School District announced the resignation of Superintendent Triantafillos Parlapanides on Saturday, but did not immediately provide any additional information.
The district said in a statement that it "is evaluating all current and prior allegations regarding incidents of bullying."
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In an interview with WNBC-TV, the father of
Adriana O. Kuch
said the teen had been hit with a 20-ounce (0.56-liter) water bottle and was treated in the school health room after the attack hit her. It will leave bruises and wounds.
“I know why (the attack) happened,” Michael Kuch said.
"It happened because the two of them hadn't liked each other for a couple of years, and she (the student accused of assault) had been threatening my daughter online."
After high school students walked out on Wednesday, Parlapanides wrote in a letter to parents that the protest was interfering with "the learning process" and that future "rallies" will need prior approval from the administration.
“I spoke to the students who demonstrated in front of the school on Wednesday and offered to sit down and meet with them to discuss their concerns,” said prosecutor Billhimer, who was back at the school on Friday to meet with protest organizers. for more than two hours.
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Billhimer said during a meeting with Parlapanides on Saturday that strategies were discussed to improve the school district's response to "incidents" at schools.
“I also shared some suggestions for changes in staffing, as well as programming and services responsive to student needs,” Billhimer said.
Adriana O. Kuch
was born in Toledo, Ohio, and had moved to Bayville seven years ago, according to her obituary.
She described herself as an animal lover and a girl who helped children with special needs.
A neighbor shared a video from last summer in which Adriana is seen jumping into a pool to save a girl who appeared to be drowning.
"She was like a daughter to me, she was at my house almost every day," Roxanne Gattuso told NBC New York.