Shaylee Mejia LA teen dies after school fails to stop bullying according to girl’s mother, Maria Juarez whose daughter succumbed to fatal brain injuries incurred earlier this month at Manual Arts High School.
A California teen girl captured on video being viciously beaten earlier this month has died after sustaining fatal brain injuries. The child’s death comes after the school failing to stop the bullying according to her mother, this despite the parent’s desperate attempts to bring an end to the ongoing violence against her daughter.
Shaylee Mejia, 16, suffered a fatal brain hemorrhage linked to several severe fights she was involved in at Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles, her mother, Maria Juarez, told KTLA.
During the suspected fatal brawl on March 5, Mejia was seen hitting her head on a bathroom stall before falling to the floor.
🚨NEW: California teen dies after six days in the hospital; her mother believes she died from injuries sustained during a school bathroom fight
Shaylee Mejia, 16, collapsed days after a bathroom fight at Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles
The mother says her daughter… pic.twitter.com/hOGUIDVcP4
— Unlimited L’s (@unlimited_ls) March 21, 2024
Mom’s desperate pleas to school went unheard
The teen complained about a headache but still attended classes for several days, her mother said.
Four days after the fight, Mejia attended a party where she fainted and was rushed to hospital.
The teen remained unconscious until her death on March 15.
Doctors say Mejia suffered a fatal hemorrhage resulting from a brain injury, according to KTLA.
Juarez, a single mom of two, claimed Mejia often returned home covered in bruises after enrolling at the public school in south LA eight months ago.
The mom stated taking pictures and documenting her daughter’s injuries to report them to school officials and campus police, only for her pleas for help going unheard.
Kids are losing their lives due to bullying in public schools and the schools are hiding it. They’re ignoring the issue and letting it just happen despite parents reporting these incidents to the police.
16-year-old Shaylee Mejia lost her life after months of prolonged and… pic.twitter.com/GyqwFGuZBI
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) March 21, 2024
Is school to blame?
Juarez, a housekeeper and sole provider for her family, said she only learned about th March 5 fight after her daughter’s death.
The mom now blames the tragedy on the school after she reported the videos to the officials and claiming nothing was done to bring the individuals involved in the alleged bullying to account.
‘Everybody knows about my daughter hitting her head, the teachers too,’ Juarez told the outlet. ‘Everybody knows.’
An official cause of death has not yet been made, and an investigation is ongoing.
Part of the investigation will examine claims that Mejia had fallen down a flight of stairs.
‘I am saddened to report the recent death of one of our students off campus. On behalf of our entire school community, I want to offer my deepest condolences to those who are impacted by this loss, including the student’s family, friends, and teachers,’ Manual Arts High School principal Alejandro Macias said in a statement obtained by KTLA.
Ongoing school bullying with tragic consequences
A GoFundMe was created for Juarez to help pay for her daughter’s funeral.
‘We are trying to save money to help Shay’s mom with the funeral expenses anything helps please help us put Shaylee to rest her death was very tragic to many of us,’ the fundraiser page read.
Mejia’s brawl occurred days before 16-year-old teen Kaylee Gain was severely injured during a high school fight, also suffering a severe brain injury.
Gain’s head was repeatedly pounded on concrete pavement during a March 8 assault near Hazelwood East High School in Spanish Lake, Mo., outside St. Louis.
She suffered a fractured skull, resulting in life-threatening brain swelling and bleeding, and has not regained consciousness, according to a statement shared by the family attorney on Monday. It remained unclear if Kaylee Gain would survive her ordeal as she continues to remain in a coma, 12 days after the ‘altercation.’
