What happened to zero tolerance? Why aren’t the schools being more transparent? Why are parents and students pleas for help falling on deaf ears?

Two families came forward to share their horrific stories of bullying and the crisis it has led to within their families.

Jamie O’Brien, mother to Brianna, a student now at South Toms River High School shares the story of her daughter’s bullying when she was a freshman at Central Regional in 2019. Like many others coming forward and sharing their stories Brianna was the victim of long term bullying that eventually led to her wanting to take her own life, causing her to end up hospitalized and a parent facing the fear and anger of discovering how fragile her daughter was after extensive bullying and her repeated pleas being ignored.

From 2019 into 2020 Jamie noticed that her daughter who was outgoing and always hanging out with her friends suddenly didn’t want to come out of her room anymore and stopped socializing with her friends and peers. Concerned about Brianna’s sudden change, Jamie set her up with a therapist to talk to hoping that Brianna would open up. Jamie’s niece told her that she needed to get Brianna’s phone and read her notes. Jamie did this while Brianna was in a therapy session and it was every parents worse fear. Even after having her daughter moved to South Toms River High School the bullying continued. She seen messages from a student from CRHS telling her daughter you are not in the school district anymore, “you should just go kill yourself”. She saw messages where they were calling her daughter a wh**e and so much more and Brianna was keeping this buried inside herself.

Jamie requested an immediate appointment with Brianna’s therapist to make her aware of the seriousness of the bullying and when they met, the therapist felt that Brianna needed to immediately be evaluated at Community Medical Center. After the emergency room therapist met with Brianna they told Jamie they were committing her to the hospital. At that point Jamie was able to see her daughter and as they were taking her clothes and when her daughter dropped her pants her thighs were cut up so bad Jamie was in shock. Brianna was transferred to Monmouth Medical and hospitalized in their psychiatric ward for a couple weeks.

After seeing these messages, Jamie and her husband went immediately to the principal to address this issue and explained the implications this bullying was having on their daughter. She was assured time and time again that “we will look into it”. But nothing was ever done. Jamie followed through with the school making them aware of the seriousness of the situation and her daughter’s hospitalization and her self inflicted wounds.

Jamie in her frustrations with no help or intervention from the officials at CRHS went to a school board meeting and addressed the superintendent asking him to explain the lack of response to the bullying of her child who was hospitalized at the time due to another student constant bullying and telling her daughter to go kill herself. The superintendent advised her they were “working on it”. Jamie advises to this day nothing had been done. Schools going virtual as a result of covid helped her daughter finish that 2019-2020 school year since the school would not allow Brianna to transfer to South Toms River despite being right on the borderline of the two schools. Brianna is now is STRHS and flourishing.

I spoke to Brianna and asked if she had any advice for other students who might be feeling the pressures she felt and she said to talk to someone, anyone to get help. Don’t be afraid to reach out. Brianna will be moving on to college after she graduates and studying forensic science. She’s a pretty amazing young lady who has fought hard to overcome the trauma of being bullied for so long. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors.

Another mom, Trisha T shares the story of her daughter “G”‘s experience, which is ongoing at this moment. Her daughter was friends with Adrianna and is taking this very hard.

Trisha tells us her daughter has been bullied consistently since December 2022 both verbally and all over social media, taking pictures and videos and posting them and antagonizing her daughter. She went to the school several time and placed multiple calls to the principal for the freshman and he advised her that he was aware of it and was “working on it”. Trisha advised that nothing was ever done. The girl who was bullying her daughter was never even called down to the office.

Trisha knew something was wrong when her daughter went from being an honor roll student and member of the high school band to suddenly not wanting to go to school and quitting band which her daughter loved. Her daughter was involved in musical activities in school since 4th grade and this was a serious red flag to Trisha that something wasn’t right.

“G” was friends with Adrianna and is distraught over the tragedy with Adrianna and what she is living through on a daily basis. Trisha is afraid for her daughter because nothing has been done by the school since December. Her daughter was so emotionally distraught yesterday she had to pick her up from school. The grief counselor’s on hand were supportive of “G” and talked to her at which time she opened up to them about her self inflicted wounds. They highly recommended Mobil Response who Trisha reached out to and they are helping the family.

These are just two stories of I’m sure many victims of bullying at the school. The school failed Adrianna, Brianna and “G”. Yesterday, the superintendent told News 12 the police were not notified of the beating Adrianna took because they were suspended and he didn’t want to hit the kids with a “double whammy”. Myself, as the writer of this story, and every parent I talked to reiterated that statement, shocked at the lack of concern. We are also attaching a letter that was sent out by the district yesterday for you to draw your own conclusions on.

Parents please let this be a wake up to question when your child becomes despondent, when they stop doing what they love, stop socializing. It may be a cry for help. Kids don’t be afraid to reach out. Go beyond the school. Go to your parents, a friend, the police or anyone you trust.

We can’t bring Adrianna back but we can move forward in her memory to save others. To Jamie, Brianna, Trisha and “G” thank you so much for sharing your stories. We hope these stories will give other kids the courage to come forward.