RELATED: Triad schools address bullying concerns following student suicide
He handed the Triad school board and Superintendent Chris Piper letters requesting their resignation during a school board meeting Monday night.
“I am asking for your resignation in writing,” Paul Thompson said. “The system is broken. You failed my daughter and she paid the ultimate price.”
Bethany Thompson died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound Oct. 19 at her home. She was a cancer survivor and her parents said she faced relentless bullying at Triad Middle School.
Superintendent Chris Piper declined comment when asked about the resignation request. He said the district is reviewing its policies against bullying.
Triad hosted a forum last week about bullying and how to prevent, Piper said in statement.
“On Thursday, Nov. 17, we hosted an anti-bullying presentation by Dr. Linda Locke and Mindful Presence Ministries,” Piper said in a statement. “Dr. Locke was able to talk with parents about helping their children find their voice when facing bullying behaviors. It was very similar to the one we hosted two years ago but I was very happy that this time we had approximately 50 community members in attendance as well as about 15 staff members.”
DETAILS: Event raises funds and awareness after student suicide
School Board Member Chris Millice said during the meeting that the school district is conducting an investigation into the matter. The investigation is ongoing.
Bethany Thompson is the second Triad 11-year-old to die by suicide in nearly five years.
Paul Thompson criticized the district’s approach to bullying, saying they don’t do enough to prevent it.
“You guys are reactive and not proactive,” he said.
Bethany’s mother, Wendy Feucht, also addressed the board members Monday night. She told them the schools should do more to prevent bullying and said she believed the district’s lack of action played a role in her daughter’s death.
“She was bringing up her math grade. She was extremely smart,” Feucht said. “She was Christ-loving, big-hearted.”
She demanded the school district quickly resolve bullying to protect children attending the schools.
“When everybody is with their family at Thanksgiving dinner, just remember I have an empty chair,” Paul Thompson said.
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