What happened to Adriana Kuch at Central Regional High School? Family sues school district a year after daughter dies by suicide

Adriana Kuch, a 14-year-old student at Berkley Township's Central Regional High School took her own life on February 3, 2023. Two days before her death, Adriana was reportedly assaulted and bullied in the school hallway by other students and the footage of the incident was posted on the internet. On Monday, January 29, 2024, Adriana's family filed a lawsuit against the school district for failing to protect her, as per USA Today.

The lawsuit also accused former school district superintendent Triantafillos Parlapanides of a violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and defamation. The family's attorneys stated in the lawsuit that Adriana Kuch's suicide was caused due to the assault by students and the repercussions of the video being posted online.

Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of self-harm. Readers' discretion is advised.

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Adriana Kuch was reportedly hit with a water bottle, kicked, and punched in Central Regional High School

A video posted on social media on February 1 last year showed the assault of a 14-year-old Central Regional High School student. In the video, the girl, who was walking in the school hallway alongside a friend, was struck by another student with a water bottle multiple times. She fell to the ground and was repeatedly kicked and punched by others while the person filming was heard cheering.

Two days later, the girl, Adriana Kuch, who had serious bruises on her face and legs after the attack, took her own life. She was found dead on February 3, 2023, at her Bayville residence. The incident caused a major uproar online and led to protests and walkouts from many students who stated that the school district wasn't doing enough to address bullying.

Four students involved in the incident were criminally charged. On Monday, January 29, a lawsuit was filed by Adriana's family against the Central Regional Board of Education and others including the former school district superintendent Triantafillos Parlapanides, and the principal and assistant principal of the New Jersey high school.

NBC News reported that the lawsuit accused the individuals of knowing about a pre-existing "climate of harassment, intimidation, and bullying" and failing to protect Adriana Kuch. A statement published by the grieving family's lawyers alleged that the assault and the video posted online led to the "public humiliation and ultimate suicide" of Adriana Kuch.

The Daily Beast reported that Triantafillos Parlapanides, who was the School district superintendent at the time, refused to call law enforcement officials after the initial assault as they reportedly did not want the students responsible to face disciplinary action from both the police and the school. Parlapanides resigned from their position soon after.

Parlapanides also faced a charge for allegedly defaming Michael Kuch, Adriana Kuch's father on the day of his daughter's funeral. Daily Beast quoted the Kuch's lawyers, who said:

"Superintendent Parlapanides publicly and falsely attributed Adriana’s death to her father having an affair (which the superintendent fabricated) that led to Adriana’s mother’s suicide, and he commented that her father now had to eat a ‘s**t sandwich’ given the circumstances he was facing."

Michael Kuch also released a personal statement in which he criticized Parlapanides' "insensitive comments" at the time of such a tragedy and labeled her remarks as "false and careless."

"Adriana was the light of our lives, and one year after her horrific and needless death, we are still waiting for justice," he said, as per NBC New York.

He accused the institute of having a "serious bullying problem" and said that the school administration does not address or admit it.

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The exact amount for which the individuals named in the civil lawsuit are being sued is currently unknown.