11-year-old Texas girl was bullied to suicide over family’s immigration status, mom says
An 11-year-old Texas girl died by suicide after her family says she was bullied at school over the family’s immigration status, Dallas’ Univision station KUVN reported.
The girl, identified in an online obituary as Jocelynn Rojo Carranza, was a sixth-grader at Gainesville Intermediate School.
Prior to her death, Jocelynn had been bullied by classmates who threatened to call ICE over the family’s immigration status, her mother, Marbella Carranza, told Univision.
“Because her parents were Hispanic, they were going to call immigration to take her parents and she would be alone,” Carranza said.
Jocelynn died at a Dallas hospital on Feb. 8, five days after her mother found her unresponsive at home, according to the obituary.
The girl had been going to counseling to report the bullying once or twice a week prior to her death, but her mother said school officials did not inform her of this until police told her, CNN reported.
Gainesville Independent School District police are investigating the allegations of bullying, according to CNN.
In a statement to CNN, the district said, “Whenever we receive a report of bullying, we respond swiftly to ensure all students are safe physically and emotionally. While we cannot release any information about specific students or incidents, our schools have several policies in place to combat bullying and resolve conflicts.”
As of Wednesday night, comments on the district’s Facebook page have been limited to only those who have followed the page for more than 24 hours.
Jocelynn loved to dance and sing, played the French horn, and enjoyed swimming and getting her nails done with her grandma, according to her obituary. Her funeral was held Wednesday at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Gainesville.
If you or a loved one is experiencing a crisis or suicidal thoughts, there is help available. Call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.
