Bullied special ed student found in ditch clings to life
VIDEO - The police says the teen went missing on Saturday night and was found severely beaten, a product, her mother says, of bullying...
A Hazelwood Central High School student was discovered by police severely beaten in a ditch in Hazelwood, Missouri. The police says the teen went missing on Saturday night and was found severely beaten, a product, her mother says, of bullying.
The victim, a 16-year-old special education student named Paige, had gone out to meet with friends in Hazelwood Central, according to her mother, CuSandra Jones. Her mother says that she knew nothing about the bullying until her daughter was rushed to the hospital.
The Hazelwood School District had launched an investigation into the attack and visited the hospital looking for answers. School officials say they too were unaware of the bullying until the student’s body was discovered.
“We’ve since gone back to see if there was a report of bullying prior to that time, and we’ve not had any reports of bullying prior to that time. We’ll continue to support the student and support the family and make sure she’s treated appropriately at school,” said Diana Gulotta, Hazelwood School District Spokeswoman. The school district has since concluded its investigation into the matter stating that there were no reports of bullying.
The District has an anti-bullying program currently in effect at its schools asking students in grades K-12 to sign an anti-bullying pledge. They are also working on parent workshops and are taking a proactive approach asking the community to help prevent violence by reporting bullying.
The police arrested a Hazelwood Central sophomore boy Thursday.
