Adriana Couch, a 14-year-old student at Central Regional High School in Berkeley Township, committed suicide on February 3, 2023. Two days before her death, Adrianna was reportedly assaulted and bullied in the school hallway by other students, video footage captured. The incident was posted online. On Monday, January 29, 2024, Adriana's family filed a lawsuit against the school district for failing to protect her, according to USA Today.
The lawsuit also accuses former school district superintendent Triantaphilos Parlabanides of violating the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and defamation. The family's lawyers stated in the lawsuit that Adriana Koch's suicide was due to the students' assault and the repercussions of the video that was posted on the Internet.
Trigger Warning: This article contains references to self-harm. Reader discretion is advised.
Adriana Couch was reportedly beaten with a water bottle and kicked and punched at Central Regional High School
A video posted on social media on February 1 last year showed the assault of a 14-year-old Central Regional High School student. In the video, the girl, who was walking in the school hallway alongside a friend, was hit by another student with a water bottle several times. She fell to the ground and was repeatedly kicked and punched by others while the person who was filming was heard chanting.
Two days later, the girl, Adriana Koch, who suffered serious bruises on her face and legs after the attack, committed suicide. She was found dead on February 3, 2023 at her residence in Bayville. The incident sparked an online uproar and led to protests and walkouts by many students who stated that the school district was not doing enough to address bullying.
Criminal charges were brought against four students involved in the incident. On Monday, January 29, Adriana's family filed a lawsuit against the Central Regional Board of Education and others including former school district superintendent Triantaphilos Parlabanides, and the principal and assistant principal of New Jersey High School.
The lawsuit accused the individuals of knowing a pre-existing “climate of harassment, intimidation and bullying” and failing to protect Adriana Couch, NBC News reported. A statement published by the grieving family's lawyers claimed that the assault and the video posted online led to the “public humiliation and eventual suicide” of Adriana Couch.
Triantaphilos Parlabanides, who was the school district's superintendent at the time, refused to call law enforcement officials after the initial assault because they did not want the students responsible to face disciplinary action from police and the school, The Daily Beast reported. Parlabanides resigned from his position soon after.
Parlabanides also faced charges of defaming Michael Koch, Adriana Koch's father, on the day of his daughter's funeral. The Daily Beast quoted Koch's lawyers as saying:
“Supervisor Parlabanides publicly and falsely attributed Adriana's death to her father's affair (which the supervisor made up) that led to Adriana's mother's suicide, and commented that her father now had to eat a 'shitty sandwich' given the circumstances he was facing.”
Michael Koch also issued a personal statement criticizing Parlabanides' “insensitive comments” at the time of such a tragedy and calling her statements “false and negligent.”
“Adriana was the light of our lives, and one year after her horrific, needless death, we are still waiting for justice,” he said.
He accused the institute of having a “serious bullying problem” and said that the school administration was not addressing or acknowledging it.
The exact amount the individuals named in the civil lawsuit are being sued for is currently unknown.
