In a harrowing incident that has raised serious questions about school safety and the effectiveness of anti-bullying policies, Shaylee Mejia, a 16-year-old student at Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles, California, succumbed to a fatal brain hemorrhage on March 15, following a violent altercation inside the school’s bathroom on March 5.
The fight was captured on cell phone video.
Maria Juarez, Mejia’s mother, described her daughter’s struggle with bullying since enrolling at the school eight months ago. The fight that led to Mejia’s critical injury caused her to hit her head against a bathroom stall, after which she complained of headaches but continued to attend school for several days. It wasn’t until she fainted at a party on March 9 that she was rushed to the hospital, where she remained unconscious until her death.
Juarez, a housekeeper and the sole provider for her two children, has pointed a finger at the school’s administration for their alleged inaction despite her efforts to bring her daughter’s plight to their attention. According to Juarez, she had repeatedly reported the bullying to school officials and campus police, even documenting her daughter’s injuries, but her pleas for intervention were ignored.
“Everybody knows about my daughter hitting her head, the teachers too,” Juarez told KTLA, emphasizing the widespread knowledge of her daughter’s struggles within the school community.
Principal Alejandro Macias of Manual Arts High School issued a statement extending his deepest condolences to Mejia’s family, friends, and teachers, acknowledging the profound impact of the loss on the school community. The statement also noted that an investigation is underway to thoroughly examine the events leading up to Mejia’s death, including scrutinizing the school’s response to bullying allegations and the safety measures in place.
The community’s response to the tragedy included the establishment of a GoFundMe page to assist Juarez with funeral expenses. The fundraising appeal highlighted the collective mourning and the urgent need to support the bereaved family, stating, “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 incident coincides with another severe case of school violence involving 16-year-old Kaylee Gain from Missouri, who suffered life-threatening injuries from a fight near her school on March 8. Through legal representation, a public announcement was released by Gain’s relatives.
According to the release, Gain is currently suffering from a cracked skull and internal cerebral hemorrhage, and she remains unresponsive following the altercation.
The family pointed out that it’s uncertain how her recovery will progress until such time as she regains consciousness.
The video footage from the fight shows an individual, presumably a young girl, forcefully hitting Gain’s head onto the concrete several times over.
Upon the arrival of law enforcement, Gain was discovered in a state of trauma from an intense cranial wound.
As the investigation into Shaylee Mejia’s death continues, there is a growing call for actionable solutions to prevent such tragedies in the future. This includes a comprehensive review of school safety protocols, bullying prevention strategies, and the mechanisms for reporting and addressing incidents of violence and harassment.
