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An 11-year-old girl named Felicia Loalbo Melendez reportedly died on February 8, 2023, two days after she attempted to take her own life in a New Jersey school bathroom.
Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of suicide. Readers' discretion is advised.
Nearly two months after her death, a report in the Daily Voice revealed that Felicia Loalbo Melendez, a sixth grader at the F.W. Holbein School in Mount Holly, was a victim of systematic bullying. However, days before the suicide attempt, Felicia had emailed school officials to seek help.
As per the Daily Voice, a student at the F.W. Holbein School in Mount Holly found Felicia unconscious in a school bathroom around 1 pm on February 6, 2023. Authorities at the time said that the student immediately notified school officials, who, along with the paramedics, performed life-saving measures at the scene before transferring her to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
However, two days later, Felicia was pronounced dead at the hospital. Authorities added that no foul play was involved in her death after surveillance footage revealed that she was alone in the bathroom stall during the tragic incident.
Felicia Loalbo Melendez took her life days after her dad died of cancer
On February 24, 2023, in a tribute to her daughter, LoAlbo revealed that Felicia Loalbo Melendez took her life days after her dad, New Jersey Transit Detective Alexis Melendez, died from cancer.
In a tribute, LoAlbo further added that days before her daughter decided to end her life, Felicia had written several emails to school officials saying that she and her friends were constantly being bullied.
In one of the emails, the bullied 11-year-old, who was described as a bright student, reportedly suggested the idea of starting a trauma club at her school where victims of bullying can form a support group and feel safe to share their stories and heal. Felicia wrote:
“I was watching TV and thinking about the things in my life that happened to me and I got a great idea. Instead of a drama club, it would be a trauma club … I would help and provide as much as I can."
She added:
“It would need a room that is not too big and not too small. We would need a couple of chairs too. But I hope this does happen. I for one have heard from my friends and others about things that have happened to them and I think this would be a fantastic thing. Have a great night. Go dragons.”
LoAlbo said that her daughter's last email to school officials evoked a sense of desperation as she accused them of breaking the law by not taking any affirmative action to protect the victims of systematic bullying.
The school reportedly ignored the bullied sixth-grader's plea for help
In an interview with NJ.com last week, LoAlbo accused the school of ignoring her daughter’s repeated pleas for help in the emails, noting that no one was questioned over her reports. On Saturday, LoAlbo told NJ.com:
“She herself had written numerous emails to the administration detailing the events, yet no one was ever questioned. They have swept under the rug the bullying that she and so many other kids in that school have encountered and now they’re doing the same with this investigation.”
The publication that contacted the school said that they declined to comment, citing an active investigation.
The Daily Voice reported that at a board of education meeting last month, the father of a Mount Holly student who was friends with Felicia said that his daughter had allegedly confided that the victim was being bullied before her death. However, he reportedly failed to alert the school in time. He said:
"I failed to convey this information to the teachers or staff in time for anything to be done. I had a moral to act and I failed to act, and unfortunately, I don’t believe I am alone in this failure."
The parent added that he pulled his daughter out of the school after they failed to assure the parents that the incident would not be repeated.
As authorities continue to investigate, a Change.org petition was launched demanding the release of surveillance videos near the bathroom where Felicia was found.
