A Los Angeles mother says her 16-year-old daughter died after suffering severe injuries during a fight with several classmates at school.
The incident occurred March 5 at Manual Arts High School in South Los Angeles.
Cell phone footage of the incident shows Shaylee Mejia’s head slamming against a bathroom stall during the fight.
Ms. Juarez said her daughter didn’t notify her of the incident because she didn’t want to worry her.
However, she said her daughter complained of headaches for several days afterward but still attended school.
Sometime later, the teenager fainted at a party and was transported to a hospital by friends.
Ms. Juarez said doctors told her her daughter had suffered a fatal hemorrhage due to brain injuries.
She remained in the hospital unconscious for six days before doctors pronounced her dead March 15.
An investigation into the teenager’s cause of death is currently underway by the Los Angeles Police Department.
According to Ms. Juarez, school officials only told her about the fight after they had learned the teenager had died.
Ms. Jaurez told KTLA that she now blames the school for not protecting her daughter or putting a stop to the fight.
She said she presented videos of the fight and photos of her daughter’s injuries to school officials, but no disciplinary action has been taken toward her daughter’s attackers.
In a statement obtained by KTLA, Manual Arts High School principal Alejandro Macias said that the incident took place “outside of school hours” and not on campus.
However, he said, “I am saddened to report the recent death of one of our students off campus. On behalf of our entire school community, I want to offer my deepest condolences to those who are impacted by this loss, including the student’s family, friends, and teachers.”
