EVERETT, Wash. — The father of a young suicide victim wants the Everett School District to stop the bullying he says drove his daughter to kill herself.
During the noon hour, students at Evergreen Middle School walked out of school in
memory of 12-year-old Amber Rose Caudel who committed suicide last Thursday.
"She was an awesome person. I don't understand why anyone would do that (bullying) to her," said friend Alyssa Glen-Strobel.
Amber was very good at hiding the pain of being bullied.
"I'm sorry but a 12-year-old child that's never been with somebody is not a 'slut' or a 'whore,'" said her oldest sister, Kathleen Toscano, through tears. "It is terrible that other children think that it is OK to call them that," she said.
"I don't think people realize words stick with people and it stuck with Amber," said her aunt, Danielle Bennett.
Her father, Scott Caudel, tells us Amber started the cheerleading squad at Evergreen Middle. Said he was with her last Thursday when teachers said she'd be removed if she didn't get better grades. But that she was happy at a cheerleading performance after that meeting.
"She was super happy. I have so many pictures on my phone when she was at the track meet."
But later Amber hanged herself in her bedroom.
Some friends told us they had alerted at least one teacher to Amber's talk of suicide some time ago.
"I don't know about that," said Everett School District spokeswoman Mary Waggoner. "I cannot imagine that anybody at this school or another one, hearing about that would not rush to do something to help."
Waggoner says the district already has bullying hotlines, and they'll talk with students about what more should be done.
But Amber's father says no one would stop the bullying of his daughter.
"I'm not mad at one person. I'm not mad at Evergreen Middle School, I'm mad at the system."
Rather than punish students for walking out of class, the principal allowed the walkout to help students cope with their grief and win cooperation in the battle against bullying.
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