A South Carolina 14-year-old girl named Kelaia Turner allegedly hanged herself after suffering constant bullying from other middle school students. Those same bullies, according to a filed lawsuit, visited Turner at the ICU and mockingly took pictures of her. While her suicide attempt did not end her life, it did leave her with severe brain damage.
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Kelaia Turner used to attend Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher Middle School, where she suffered multiple grueling episodes of bullying.
Kelaia's mother, Ty Turner, talked to WYFF4, telling the outlet that the school did nothing to stop the bullying. "There was no less than seven to nine times that I, myself personally, reached out to the school, and I had the emails," Ty told the outlet. "Half the time they didn't respond back, and if they did, it wasn't with anything of any sustenance, there was never any resolution."
The bullying did not stop and, eventually, led Kelaia to hang herself in her bedroom, on March 17, 2023. Ty, horrified, discovered the tragic scene when she opened the door. She said, "She had fully committed to what it was that she was attempting to do, and she was gone for eight whole minutes. Paramedics couldn't find a pulse, and they couldn't find her heartbeat."
An Outrageous Mockery
Kelaia was dead for about 8 minutes, suffering severe brain damage, and remained in a coma for weeks. It was during this time that Kelaia's bullies visited her at the ICU. They took and later posted pictures of the unconscious Turnery in an outrageous mockery.
Mocking a now-14-year-old girl who attempted to commit suicide is something not even the most troubled and grotesque imagination can concoct. "Unfortunately, words do hurt. They used to teach us, 'Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me.' Words are the one thing that we will carry," Ty Turner said.
Ty is now seeking justice for her daughter, suing the district and seeking damages to cover Kelaia's expenses. These include medical bills and special education, among other things. Schine't Turner set up a GoFundMe campaign, looking to provide support for Kelaia Turner and her family.
The school district has since answered with a statement, denying the allegations made by the Turney family. "The District is aware of the allegations made by this parent and has addressed them directly with the parent," reads the statement. They stated that they had conducted investigations into the allegations at the time. "While we do not agree with the allegations, our hearts go out to Kelaia Tecora Turner, her mother, and their family."
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