Felicia Garica, Bullied Teen, Jumps to Death in Front of Classmates
Felicia Garcia, 15, committed suicide in front of nearly 200 classmates after being bullied. The teen was tormented for having intimate relations with four different football players, who then spread the word around the school. Classmates, and football players allegedly harassed the teen until she couldn't take it anymore.
Garcia jumped in front of an oncoming train at Staten Island's Huguenot station. She previously tweeted a photo of herself looking battered and beaten, though it's not known if the photo was of an actual beating or if it had been photoshopped. The train station was crowded with nearly 200 students, causing shock and disbelief among them.
"Kids are saying she had sex with some guys from the football team at a party after the game," a friend of Garcia's told New York Daily News. "Later on, they wouldn't leave her alone about it. They just kept bullying her and bullying her," the girl said. She asked to remain anonymous in order to keep herself from being bullied.
Even though the school set up a mediation session after learning of the bullying, nothing helped Garcia. She tweeted, "I cant, im done, I give up," on Monday, then took her life on Wednesday.
Police are now conducting an investigation, and those responsible for the bullying are the prime suspects. There's no word on what charges, if any, that they could face for their role in Garcia's death.
Of course, there is a sense of protection around the boys Garcia had relations with, as well as the rest of the football team.
"Everybody who is blaming the football players…mind your business!" quarterback Joshua Rainey tweeted.
As a result of Garcia's death, a football game originally scheduled for tonight has been rescheduled for Sunday evening. The school has brought in a crisis management team and is working to help students cope with the loss of their peer.