Another charge filed against juvenile in Central Regional bullying incident
TOMS RIVER - An additional complaint has been filed against one of the juveniles involved in the Central Regional High School bullying incident, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced Thursday.
The juvenile is now charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, the announcement said, in addition to the previously filed complaint alleging harassment. The juvenile was served a copy of the complaint and was released pending future court appearances.
Four students have been charged in connection with the initial attack on the Bayville student - a 14-year-old who was found dead by suicide in her home on Feb. 4 - after she was attacked inside the school and bullied online.
One juvenile was charged with aggravated assault, two were charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated assault and one was charged with harassment, Billhimer said previously.
The district confirmed that three students had been suspended following the incident.
The father of the victim said the issues began on Wednesday, Feb. 2 when his daughter and her boyfriend were walking in the school’s hallway and were attacked. The attack was captured on video, which was spread on social media.
A copy of a 46-second video, reviewed by the Press, shows at least one student grabbing the 14-year-old, striking her with what appears to be a water bottle and knocking her to the ground. A struggle ensues and the same student appears to hit the victim several more times while her boyfriend attempts to separate them.
Her father said he believes her death was in part due to bullying she endured from other students online in the 36 hours after she was attacked.
“She took her life because she was so unbelievably embarrassed and they kept coming to her and attacking her (online),” the father of nine said about his youngest daughter. “On TikTok, Snapchat and sending her direct messages.”
The Asbury Park Press does not name juveniles who die by suicide and is not naming the father as a result.
The Central Regional School District announced that Superintendent Triantafillos Parlapanides would resign, a day after the Daily Mail published comments from him that appear to divulge information on the private life of a 14-year-old victim.
However, the Central Regional School District has not accepted his resignation and will not comment on his employment status, except to confirm he is still receiving his $195,343 salary.
Douglas Corbett, assistant superintendent of Central Regional, has been appointed as acting superintendent.
At board meetings following the 14-year-old’s death, students have recounted their experiences with long-time bullying in the schools and parents have called for more to be done to prevent bullying, but the district has remained steadfast in their statements that they do not have a violent culture.
“That is not my experience at all,” Corbett said during a media briefing prior to a district school board meeting. “We don’t condone [bullying], we actually do everything in our power to dissuade that.”
School officials has stopped speaking to the media, instead referring inquiries to a Princeton-based public relations firm that they hired for a $3,000 retainer.
Jenna Calderón covers breaking news and cold cases in Monmouth and Ocean counties. Before coming to the Press, she covered The Queen City for Cincinnati Magazine in Ohio. Contact her at 330-590-3903; jcalderon@gannettnj.com
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Another charge filed against juvenile in Central Regional bullying act
