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Mom Speaks Out About Bullying After 12-Year-Old Daughter's Tragic Suicide At School
"I sent my baby there to learn, not to die."
A mother is speaking out after her 12-year-old daughter committed suicide at school. According to NBC4, Stormiyah Denson-Jackson died on Tuesday of an apparent suicide at her boarding school in Washington, D.C. Her mother, Pat Denson, says that she had been bullied.
"She did tell me that a lot of kids would be bullying her, picking on her. And when she tried to tell the staff, they wouldn't do nothing about it," Denson said. "But when she reacted, they put her as the bully."
The incident took place at The SEED Public Charter School of Washington. The girl's body was found dead in her dorm room.
"I sent my baby there to learn, not to die," the mother said. "I just can't understand it." She blames the school for not watching over the well-being of her daughter. "They supposed to look in the room and look on the bed to make sure that that child is in her space, every hour on the hour. That's what's supposed to be done. But it wasn't done. My child would be still here," she said. "I trusted them people with my child."
Other parents and family have come forward to speak out about bullying incidents at the school. "He had a knot in his forehead, a knot in the back of his head. He had a concussion," said Kimberly Brent, whose grandson attended the institution."Three young men in his eighth-grade dorm jumped him." Another woman spoke anonymously and shared that her daughter was bullied and the school did not take action. "She has been bullied on more than one occasion. When told about the situation, nobody did nothing about it."
A school spokeswoman told NBC4 that they take the safety and security of students seriously. The school shared this statement about the incident: "We are deeply saddened to report that a SEED DC student unexpectedly passed away this morning. This is of course a terrible tragedy for the family first and foremost, as well as for the entire SEED Community. We ask that you respect the privacy of the family and of our community of scholars and teachers in their mourning."
SEED DC is the nation’s first college-preparatory, public boarding school. There are 370 students enrolled from the grades six through 12, according to its website. The school was founded in 1998.
The school is currently closed through the week. The circumstances around the suicide are currently being investigated.
[Photo: Family photo]
