EXCLUSIVE | Ex CRHS teacher says Adriana Kuch’s school ignored HIS OWN daughters' bullying complaints
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
BERKELEY, NEW JERSEY: The tragic death of 14-year-old Adriana Kuch has shaken the collective conscience of the country. Four girls were charged after Adriana died by suicide hours after a video of her being bullied surfaced online. The incident took place at Central Regional High School in Berkeley Township. Adriana died by suicide at her Bayville home on February 3.
After the news of her death surfaced, several students took to social media to allege Central Regional High School has seen incidents of bullying in the past that have been overlooked by the administration. In the aftermath of the tragic incident, MEAWW spoke to Daniel Keiser, a former teacher at the school. He taught at Central Regional High School for nearly two decades. "I left CRHS to take an administrative job in 2014 at Manchester Township School District," Daniel, 59, said. "I then retired from public school after 29 years of service and then went to work at Ocean County College. I will be retiring this summer after 39 years in education."
RELATED ARTICLES
'Seriousness of the situation was overlooked'
"In my opinion, CRHS has been plagued by a culture of bullying, and a weak administration that did not tackle problems head-on. There was only one administrator who really tried to reign in student behavior but he was not popular with the other administrators. There were many wonderful students who came through the school, but the unruly students were rarely held accountable," Daniel stated.
"My daughters attended CRHS and one of them was the subject of intense ongoing bullying and ridicule," Daniel claimed. "Despite many meetings with the administration, I felt like it preferred to ignore the incidents. Sometimes it had the attitude that "kids will be kids". The seriousness of the situation was overlooked. It was very frustrating. Only one Vice Principal tried to help with the situation."
'I was utterly disgusted'
The video of the recent attack, which surfaced on social media, shows Adriana walking down the hallway when a girl attacks her and begins walloping her in the face with a water bottle. Adriana is seen falling to the ground as she continues to be set upon by the girl. Cheering is heard in the background. By this time, she is lying bruised and bloodied on the floor.
On being asked about Adriana's case, Daniel said, "I did not know Adriana personally. When I learned of the incident and her death, I was utterly disgusted. I was angry. But sadly, I was not surprised."
Recalling an incident that took place in the past, he said, "There was a situation several ago where students reported that a teacher allowed one student to beat another and walked over to the fight very slowly and let the student get beaten. That teacher was brought in but there was no disciplinary action taken against that teacher."
'Students' mental, physical and emotional safety is first priority'
"As a former teacher of the school, I would like to tell the administration that students' mental, physical, and emotional safety and well-being have to be first priority, even before education. Without that, quality education is impossible."
Daniel suggested that schools should arrange assemblies to confront and educate the students about the dangers of bullying and the consequences that come with it. "Administrations need to completely support the teaching staff when they report bad behavior and be constantly visible in the halls and classrooms," he said. "The superintendent should minimize paperwork and meetings that take administration away from being present throughout their schools. "
"Schools must train staff on how to handle bullying and bad student behavior. If the teaching staff decides to ignore such behavior, they should be held accountable," he added.
'Enough is not done'
Dozens of enraged students at CRHS took to the streets and staged a protest after Adriana's death. Chants of 'Justice for Adriana' rang in the air as they gathered outside a fence at the high school, demanding accountability. Meanwhile, Adriana's father, Michael Kuch, alleged that the school tried to lock the protesting students down to prevent them from walking out.
"The school tried to prevent the protest. The kids reached out to me," Michael said, adding, "Enough is not done. More changes need to be made as more than one person at that school failed." Adriana's friends have now formed a TikTok channel, 'justice4age', seeking justice for Adriana.
The four students who allegedly attacked Adriana were initially slapped with third-degree assault charges, and one of them was also charged with disorderly conduct. The charges were later upgraded, with one of them now charged with aggravated assault. She could even face court as an adult. Apart from her, one has been charged with harassment and two with conspiracy to commit aggravated assault. Meanwhile, Central Regional School District (CRSD) & Seaside Heights Superintendent, Triantafillos Parlapanides, has resigned after widespread criticism.