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Tragically, a 12-year-old girl took her own life after enduring continuous bullying throughout the school year, as reported by her family. They alleged that despite their efforts to relocate their daughter, the Las Vegas school district refused their transfer request.
Flora Martinez, a sixth grader at Duane D. Keller Middle School, took her life on May 7.
“Look how hard it was on my daughter. My daughter was literally bullied to death,” her grieving mother, Alice Martinez, told 8 News Now Thursday.
Alice and Joshua Parker, Flora’s father, placed blame on Clark County School District and said the district failed to protect their little girl.
Flora’s family said they reported the preteen’s torment to the school’s assistant principal, but the bullying from her classmates continued.
The bullies set their sights on little Flora almost immediately at the start of the 2023-24 academic year, Alice said.
The situation had escalated to the point where Alice Martinez had completed the necessary documentation to move Flora from the middle school. Regrettably, the CCSD reportedly rejected this application on October 6, 2023.
The district did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
“By then, I had already kept her home for a fortnight due to the numerous incidents. It was just the beginning of the academic year,” Martinez recounted.
The reported bullying only intensified once Flora returned to the classroom, slowly chipping away at the girl once described as full of life and empathetic.
“This wasn’t just one incident that happened, and you know, she decided to take her life. This was months and months and months of bullying that built up, and finally, she just couldn’t take it no more,” Joshua Parker said.
The targeting seemed unprovoked, with her former classmate Rico telling the outlet that Flora was “so nice to everybody.”
“I’m so sad, because like I felt like it’s my fault because I should have really done something. I should’ve pushed everybody out of the way. Got to her,” the youngster said.
According to her family, Flora was tormented right up until the moment she committed suicide in her bedroom — shortly before dinner with her family.
Racked with grief, Flora’s parents accused the district of doing nothing to protect their little girl.
“I feel like the school had a duty to keep her safe, while she was in their care and they just failed miserably,” her mother Alice Martinez said.
“Everybody that had a hand in that request to transfer her failed her … If you’re a parent and you’re not outraged by this, you’re part of the problem too.”
Little Flora committed suicide just two days after 10-year-old Sammy Teusch suffered the same fate, also following a severe stream of bullying.
Similarly, the fourth-grader’s family raised alarm bells nearly two dozen times before the tragedy.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
