BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The heartbroken family of 12-year-old Dariel Rivera Reyes who died by suicide is grieving his loss and pushing for action to prevent tragedies like this to happen again.
Dariel's family said his death came after he was bullied by his classmates. His grandmother Blanca Martinez told 7 News Reporter Yoselin Person that Dariel was a sixth grader at Public School 48 and believes her grandson was the victim of bullying due to his Latin ethnicity. Martinez said she reported it several times to the school but it wasn't addressed until after he died.
Now the family and the Buffalo Public School's community is looking for answers. At Wednesday night's Board of Education Meeting, raw emotions were shared by Dariel's family, district parents, students and staff. Everyone seemed to plead for change.
"At what point is enough going to be enough," Ay Manuel Radford, New York Civil Liberties Union Representative asked. "At what point are we as a community, we as a school district going to step up and ensure that this doesn't happen again."
"Today is a continuation of level of support for our Latino children and a message as part of our community that we will not tolerate one more loss," family supporter Talia Rodriguez said.
Dariel's story of being bullied is unfortunately all too common in schools around the country. According to the CDC, about 1 in 5 high school students reported being bullied on school grounds in 2021.
More than 1 in 6 say they were bullied online. Almost 30% of white high school students and nearly 20% of both Hispanic and Black students said they have been bullied.
Among those who spoke out was Alexandra Gomez, a bilingual and special education teacher who said this loss is like no other.
"Dariel was my brilliant student," Gomez cried. "I'm sorry, I'm trying to hold it together."
Superintendent Dr. Tonja Williams said it's her mission to improve preventative measures, update training and ensure interventions are in place so children who are hurting know where they can get help.
The National Institute of Health says as of last year suicidal behaviors among high school students had increased almost 40% from where they were in the decade before 2019.
"We'll work together collectively on an ongoing basis, not just next month, to develop systems and policies to address when our children are in trouble," Williams said.
It's a change Dariel's family is eager to see so this tragedy will never happen again.
"It goes beyond posters and bulletins," Gomez translated for Martinez. "Words are meaningless without action. We need action and we need it now."
Help is always available, if you or someone you know is in need of help you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. You can also contact the crisis services in Erie county at (716) 834-3131 or in Niagara County at (716) 285-3515.
