School ignored mom's complaints about 12-year-old bully who tormented her daughters until 'one had to change schools and we buried the other': Lawsuit

A 12-year-old girl's decease amid allegations of prolonged bullying has led to a wrongful death suit successful Southern California.

In precocious February, Khimberly Zavaleta died aft a convulsive bullying incidental astatine Reseda Charter High School connected Kittridge Street successful the San Fernando Valley country of Los Angeles, according to her family.

On Monday, the bereaved household filed a suit against the Los Angeles Unified School District, alleging the schoolhouse failed to instrumentality reports of bullying seriously, starring to Khimberly's homicide.

The girl's household members precocious spoke astir their nonaccomplishment successful an interrogation with the Los Angeles Times.

"The schoolhouse has a batch to reply for, because, well, they did nothing," her mother, Elma Chuquipa Sanchez, told the newspaper. "Every azygous day, I would caput to the schoolhouse and I was determination making a fuss [about ongoing bullying]. But it was each for nothing. Now, my babe is gone."

The schoolhouse territory does not remark connected pending oregon ongoing litigation, a Los Angeles Unified spokesperson told Law&Crime.

In March, the girl's household filed a wrongful decease claim, a precursor to the caller lawsuit, the Los Angeles Times reported. The assertion alleges the family's children had been "bullied and harassed connected campus" respective times before. Chuquipa Sanchez said her 2 girls "had repeatedly reported bullying episodes to an LAUSD administrator. But LAUSD did nothing."

The family's attorney, Robert Glassman, of Panish Shea Ravipudi LLP, said the aforesaid radical of students had been bullying different students and adjacent antecedently attacked different miss successful the weeks starring up to the metallic h2o vessel onslaught that yet took Khimberly's life.

That earlier incident, Glassman said, was documented — recorded connected video and posted connected societal media with the caption: "Happy Tuesday." Video of the incidental involving Khimberly and her sister besides made the rounds connected societal media, the lawyer told the Times.

"They waited until my girl died to yet instrumentality action," the girl's parent told the newspaper. "It wasn't just that they [the bullies] continued going to schoolhouse and my daughters suffered. One had to alteration schools and we buried the other."

Immediately aft the onslaught astatine the school, Khimberly was taken to a infirmary and yet sent home, according to a study by City News Service, a Southern California-based ligament service.

On Feb. 19, portion playing video games, she suffered what her household referred to successful a GoFundMe run arsenic "a catastrophic aesculapian emergency." An uncle aboriginal clarified the miss suffered a changeable aft days of lingering headaches, according to The New York Times.

"Major humor vessels successful her encephalon ruptured, and she was rushed to UCLA Children's Hospital, placed successful an induced coma, and underwent analyzable exigency encephalon surgery," the fundraiser explains.

On Feb. 20, astir 3:30 a.m., Khimberly's "heart gave out," with her household astatine her side, according to the online fundraiser.

Law enforcement, for its part, is mostly keeping mum astir the girl's death. But the LAPD has said the lawsuit is being investigated by the LAPD Robbery-Homicide Division, Valley Bureau Section.

"Due to the delicate quality of the probe and the progressive parties being juveniles, astatine this time, we are not releasing immoderate further accusation related to the case," the LAPD said successful a statement.

Earlier this month, a 12-year-old was arrested connected suspicion of execution successful narration to Khimberly's death. However, nary ceremonial charges person been filed successful the case, which remains nether investigation.

The child's household has offered immoderate details.

Chuquipa Sanchez described however the household understood the bullying concern astatine Reseda Charter High School successful comments to Los Angeles-based ABC West Coast flagship KABC successful aboriginal March.

"At dismissal time, she was successful the schoolhouse hallway erstwhile a gangly lad came up to her," she said. "He was pushing her, and my girl told him, 'What's your occupation with me? Let's spell to the principal's bureau and speech astir it,' but helium ignored her."

That's erstwhile the younger miss went up to effort to get her sister.

"My girl goes and pulls her away, truthful they don't deed her sister, and that's erstwhile [Khimberly] gets deed successful the head," Chuquipa said.

At slightest portion of the combat was captured connected video, according to KABC. The footage reportedly does not amusement the vessel being thrown.

"They were hitting her sister — my eldest daughter," Chuquipa Sanchez went on. "In the video, you tin spot them pulling [Khimberly]. At 1 point, they deed her hard connected the head, which led her to wherever she is present — successful a morgue."

The grieving parent added that her girl was shuttled betwixt assorted hospitals and the household agreed she would acquisition a six-hour country to region humor that had accumulated astir Khimberly's brain.

The small girl's household moved to Los Angeles from Peru astir 5 years ago, hoping for a amended life. Khimberly, for her part, dreamed of becoming a doc 1 day, her household said.