April 15, 2008
Bullies Blamed For Pre-Teen's Suicide
After a 12-year-old Brooklyn girl killed herself, her mother is speaking out against her peers and her school.
Last week, Mercedes Herrera found her daughter Maria near death in her bedroom closet. Maria, who had tied a belt around her neck, died shortly thereafter at Brookdale Hospital. Initial reports of Herrera's death noted that she was upset that her stepfather wouldn't let her visit a friend, but her mother detailed her classmates' cruel behavior.
Mercedes Herrera said she visited PS 72 East New York more than 20 times to complain about persistent bullying. She said her daughter was not only beaten up, but "they used to harass her, curse at her, call her 'train tracks' because she had braces, they used to cut her hair. I went to the school, they didn't do nothing about it."
The Department of Education said, "This situation is a tragedy, but there is no record that this student had been a victim of persistent bullying or that her parents had complained about persistent bullying at the school." Classmates left notes at Maria's memorial such as, "I am sorry" and "We won't bother you."
Her parents may pursue legal action. And Assembly members have sponsored a bill for anti-bullying legislation, but it has never passed.
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why prosecute bullies when we have red sox jerseys to dig up?
legal action? and this is city's fault how? What's up with the urban kids getting hurt/killed and the parents pursue legal action to become multimillionaires. What a niggardly act.
"why prosecute bullies when we have red sox jerseys to dig up?"
Huh, I assumed those were construction workers being paid by the Yankees wielding those jackhammers and digging up that jersey. Wow! You say they were actually prosecutors? Strange world, isn't it? Huh, I know an ADA, I wonder if they had her out there digging instead of prosecuting criminals... I mean, I would have thought those were two different jobs, and that time put into one wouldn't have any affect on the other!
Such a loss ,what a nice looking girl.
Kids have to report bullys but of course i didnt'in high school in the 2950's in nyc i would have been hurt,so sad.
May her family find peace and know this is what she
thought best for her pain.
Another sad story.
Come on Gothamist you need to report and find more happy stories!
"What a niggardly act"
Albert Sharpton, you have so much negative stuff to say about African-Americans on this site. I wonder if you're brave enough to say any of the stuff you say on gothamist on a train perhaps. I doubt it. You're just a racist coward. Uneducated, lower class, and total trash.
Eh, it's called trolling. Don't take the bait. Personally, I'd delete the original comment if I were Gothamist, since it's so gratuitous, even for here.
Maybe before people get all upset they should crack a dictionary and look up the word "niggardly." Hint: it has nothing to do with race.
" I went to the school, they didn't do nothing about it."
That's a good thing, right?
It doesn't have anything to do with race, but it's clearly a gratuitous - and misused - comment.
It means to be stingy, not greedy.
Oh I agree that he used it incorrectly given its meaning but I just wanted to forestall the inevitable flame war started by people who think it means something else based on its spelling.
re: jaycjay
well, now you know.
if kids cut her hair or physically hurt her than sure, that mom should go after the principal for not disciplining the bullies. but the verbal abuse is par for the course.
"We won't bother you."
Helluva lotta good that does now. Here's hoping her poltergeist comes back to terrorize them in their sleep.
I don't know how the school administrators can be surprised they'd heard nothing; fear of retaliation isn't a new concept.
She reminds me of my little sister. Poor thing.
"Kids have to report bullys but of course i didnt'in high school in the 2950's in nyc i would have been hurt,so sad."
Tell me do they have flying cars in 2950? btw welcome to the world of yesterday.
I agree, can we have some happy news? More subway heroes please! haha
I know, I wish I could have told her that those kids are not worth it, success is the best revenge, etc etc. Ugh.
"Albert Sharpton, you have so much negative stuff to say about African-Americans on this site. I wonder if you're brave enough to say any of the stuff you say on gothamist on a train perhaps. I doubt it. You're just a racist coward. Uneducated, lower class, and total trash. "
Silly negro, don't be so fast to pass judgment so quickly! I love negroes and they love me.
I am a racist coward, because this is America and Black people are upset over everything, yet they don't do enough to justify their demands.
Your mother is what now?..."Uneducated, lower class, and total trash."
Hello, off-topic. A little girl died because she was being bullied and the people who supposedly know kids best and are helping turn them into responsible citizens didn't, it appears, do anything to prevent that. Anyone who has kids, or spends any regular time with them, knows that they are extremely impressionable and have no filter--they will generally say or do whatever comes into their heads. Kids thrive when they are given appropriate boundaries.
So why are the adults here being thwarted by pre-teens? The fear of retaliation should affect the perpetrator as much as the victim--setting up a system where that is the case doesn't take a genius. And schools do have the right and responsibility to assist parents in teaching children moral values.