Who is Trian Parlapanides? NJ school superintendent slammed over Adriana Kuch 'smear campaign'

On February 3, 14-year-old Adriana Kuch was found dead after she allegedly died by suicide due to an assault by students at her school.

In a turn of events that has outraged netizens, the local superintendent, Dr. Trian Parlapanides, deflected blame from the school administration for not adequately dealing with the bullying. He claimed the cause of the teen's death stemmed from her life at home.

ABC reported that on February 1, teens at Central Regional High School recorded footage of Adriana Kuch being brutally beaten in the school hallway. The video of the incident reportedly spread online, leading to sustained cyberbullying. As per her father, Michael Kuch, this eventually led to her death.

After parents slammed the school administration for not dealing with the bullies, Dr. Trian Parlapanides claimed that other factors led to Kuch's death. He said that declining grades and her father's alleged affair played a part.

Michael Kuch claimed that the 'smear campaign' launched by Parlapanides was a vicious example of victim blaming.

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Superintendent who reportedly 'victim-blamed' Adriana Kuch has been working in the education system since 1996

As per his LinkedIn profile, New Jersey native Dr. Trian Parlapanides is a superintendent who has been working in the education system since 1996. Having received a Doctorate in education at Seton Hall University, he was highly endorsed by other professionals in education in the Central Regional School District.

While Parlapanides began his career as a middle school teacher, he quickly took on an administrative role just five years into teaching, after becoming an assistant principal. Over the years he gradually rose up the chain, becoming superintendent in July 2008.

Despite his 14 years of experience as a superintendent, Adriana Kuch's father claimed that his administration not only failed to address the issue but also demonstrated a lack of sensitivity towards his daughter's death.

In a statement to news sources, Parlapanides blamed Kuch's death on her family. He wrote in an email:

“Her father was having an affair at the end of her 6th grade. Her father married the woman he had an affair with and moved her into the house."

He claimed that while the school attempted to help Adriana Kuch, her father was an obstacle. He continued:

“Her grades and choices declined in 7th and 8th grade. We offered her drug rehab and mental services on five occasions but the father refused every time (...) We tried helping her several times but (her) mother’s suicide was a major reason she started making poor choices."

In an interview with the New York Post, Michael Kuch angrily responded to the allegations made against him.

He said:

“He’s pretty much blaming her (...) My daughter was attacked in your school and you did nothing. And now you want to blame this on everyone else except yourself because you failed and you suck at your job."

He added:

“You should probably resign and maybe even become a greeter at Walmart."

The case is currently ongoing. The names of the suspects have not been released as they are minors.