Bay Area

School District Sued by Family of 11-Year-Old Girl Who Died by Suicide After Alleged Bullying

In a time when many pre-teen antics are uploaded to TikTok and Instagram, a video out of Vallejo shared on social media last year holds something disturbing. In it, a sixth-grade girl stands in a school yard with her back to the camera, her long dark hair pulled back into a ponytail and her bright pink backpack on her shoulders. Suddenly, an arm shoots out, reaches for the girl’s hair and yanks her down very hard, sending the child sprawling to the ground. The 11-year-old girl in the pink backpack was Maria “Therese” Caguin and she took her own life on Jan. 2 because she was repeatedly bullied at her school, her parents said. Now they are suing the school district for allegedly allowing their daughter to be subjected to physical, cyber and verbal bullying.

Published

2 years ago

March 14, 2023

Oakland Post

Therese's death shocked and horrified not only her parents, but the greater community. Parents are calling for something to be done about bullying at Hogan Middle School in Vallejo.

By Katy St. Clair
Bay City News

In a time when many pre-teen antics are uploaded to TikTok and Instagram, a video out of Vallejo shared on social media last year holds something disturbing.

In it, a sixth-grade girl stands in a school yard with her back to the camera, her long dark hair pulled back into a ponytail and her bright pink backpack on her shoulders. Suddenly, an arm shoots out, reaches for the girl’s hair and yanks her down very hard, sending the child sprawling to the ground.

The 11-year-old girl in the pink backpack was Maria “Therese” Caguin and she took her own life on Jan. 2 because she was repeatedly bullied at her school, her parents said. Now they are suing the school district for allegedly allowing their daughter to be subjected to physical, cyber and verbal bullying.

Therese’s death shocked and horrified not only her parents, but the greater community. Parents are calling for something to be done about bullying at Hogan Middle School in Vallejo.

Therese’s sister set up a GoFundMe the day after her death to raise funds for her funeral.

“Yesterday my little sister Therese took her own life. My dad found her in her room. She was only 11 years old,” reads the post. “This has been the most unexpected and saddest thing we’ve had to endure as a family.”

The principal of Hogan Middle School, Rosalind Hines, referred all questions about Therese’s alleged bullying and death to the Vallejo City Unified School District, which did not comment on the girl’s death. Hines did send out a message to parents on Jan. 6 in the wake of Therese’s death.

“With a heavy heart, I share the news of the passing of one of our own,” she wrote. “This sudden loss will surely raise many emotions, concerns, and questions for our entire school, especially our students.”

Hines went on to say that mental health support staff would be made available.

The reaction on Facebook was a mixture of sadness and anger, with one poster saying, “Maybe they should have stated that this poor child committed suicide due to bullying at that school. Why sugar coat it? Those bullies should suffer consequences.”

Therese’s mother Vionalyn Caguin, a single mom who also has a 3-year-old son, said she has been “completely broken” by her daughter’s death, saying she had no idea how much she had been going through.

“She just kept it to herself,” said Caguin, who said she knew her daughter wasn’t thriving at school but she didn’t know the extent of her trauma.

Caguin said she felt her daughter was trying to protect her from concern because she knew life wasn’t easy for her single mother.

“She didn’t want me to worry, but I was always saying, ‘Mama’s here.’ I made sure I was always there for her,” she said.

Caguin repeatedly asked her daughter how she was doing at her new school. Therese began at Hogan in August and was having difficulty making friends. She was obedient, quiet and sweet, her mother said.

Still, after a few months at Hogan, her mom knew something was wrong and began trying to find a different school for her daughter, she said, though other schools had waiting lists.

Caguin said that she didn’t fully understand the scope of the bullying until after her daughter’s death and she saw the video of her being assaulted in the school yard.

“When I saw that video, I said, oh my God, it’s breaking my heart, because I didn’t know that it’s that bad,” she said through tears during a visit to her daughter’s grave in a Vallejo cemetery.

Caguin said the school had told her last fall that there was an “incident” involving her daughter and that the kids would “face consequences,” but that the school never told her the extent of what happened, and neither did her daughter.

According to the claim filed Thursday, the school allegedly assured Therese’s parents that they would “take reasonable and appropriate measures to stop the bullying endured by” their daughter.

“Hogan Middle School did nothing to intervene and stop the harassment and bullying and did not follow the policies and procedures to make sure that Decedent and other students on campus were not continually harassed and bullied,” reads the claim.

Though Therese didn’t confide in her mother, she did reach out to a teacher. On or about October or November, she emailed a teacher to say that she “wanted to die,” the family’s claim alleges.

The suit alleges that the school then “did nothing to intervene.”

“In cases such as this, it requires the maximum amount of attention to bring about change,” said attorney for the family Bryan Harrison. “You have a situation in which the parents have entrusted the faculty and administration with trust to care for and protect, what is most meaningful to us as parents — our children.”

He said, “For the staff and faculty to ignore repeated instances of bullying, and in this particular case, ignore actual notice from a child directly that the child was thinking about hurting herself as a result of bullying, it’s not just negligent, it’s grossly negligent.”

A spokesperson for the school district provided their approach to the problem of bullying.

“We have multiple ways to respond to bullying at Hogan Middle School and across the district,” said district spokesperson Celina Baguiao.

Baguiao said all campuses have mental health support providers, academic support providers, and a way to report bullying either directly or anonymously. She also said Vallejo schools contract with outside agencies about bullying, including governmental agencies and nonprofits. There is a care team at Hogan that meets weekly to discuss concerns and an “end of day huddle” with staff to check in with each other about occurrences throughout the day.

Another mother of a child at Hogan said that abuse her daughter faced at the hands of kids there and even a teacher ramped up after Therese’s suicide.

“My daughter’s depressed,” Lauren Keltz, mother of a 13-year-old girl currently at Hogan, said she told a school administrator. “She told me that she is feeling worthless and stupid and suicidal. And I said to the school, ‘I’m telling you right now … because of your guys’ lack of intervention, I’m going to hold you personally accountable.'”

Keltz said no one ever pulled her daughter aside to ask how she was doing.

She said initially the bullying at the school allegedly came from a teacher, who called her daughter “stupid” and “retarded.”

The teacher did not respond to a request for comment and the school district also declined to comment.

Keltz said the news of Therese’s death after her own daughter’s experience at the school horrified her and made her more determined to speak out about what she says is happening at Hogan.

Lawsuits against school districts for bullying are not that uncommon. Last August, the El Segundo Unified School District in Los Angeles County was ordered to pay $1 million in a suit filed on behalf of a 13-year-old girl who was bullied, with students going as far as creating a petition to end her life.

This February in Ocean County, New Jersey, a 14-year-old girl who was bullied took her own life and her alleged attackers have been charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated assault. The superintendent of schools in the community has also resigned as a result. The district is currently being sued for another case of alleged bullying as well.

For Therese’s family, suing the Vallejo district is a way to try to foster change.

“I don’t want my daughter’s life to be erased,” said Caguin. “I want something different from the school. Don’t ignore those things that are happening. Even if my daughter’s not coming back, they have to change.”

Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area.

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KatyStClair1639p03/03/23

CONTACT: Bryan Harrison, attorney for Caguin family bryan@h-klaw.com

Celina Baguiao, spokesperson for the Vallejo City Unified School District cbaguiao@vcusd.org

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: Images related to this story can be obtained from the following Bay City News Service web links:

https://www.baycitynews.com/images/BCN-20230210-SUICIDE-01.jpg

Vionalyn Caguin sits at the grave of her 11-year-old daughter, Maria ‘Therese’ Caguin, at All Souls Cemetery in Vallejo, Calif., on Feb. 10, 2023. Maria took her life on Jan. 2, after being repeatedly bullied at Hogan Middle School in Vallejo. The family is suing the school district. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)

https://www.baycitynews.com/images/BCN-20230210-SUICIDE-02.jpg

Vionalyn Caguin wipes away tears as she speaks about her 11-year-old daughter, Maria ‘Therese’ Caguin, at All Souls Cemetery in Vallejo, Calif., on Feb. 10, 2023. Maria took her life on Jan. 2, after being repeatedly bullied at Hogan Middle School in Vallejo. The family is suing the school district. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)

https://www.baycitynews.com/images/BCN-20230210-SUICIDE-04.jpg

Vionalyn Caguin holds a photo album of photos of her 11-year-old daughter, Maria ‘Therese’ Caguin, at All Souls Cemetery in Vallejo, Calif., on Feb. 10, 2023. Maria took her life on Jan. 2, after being repeatedly bullied at Hogan Middle School in Vallejo. The family is suing the school district. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)

https://www.baycitynews.com/images/BCN-20230210-SUICIDE-05.jpg

https://www.baycitynews.com/images/BCN-20230210-SUICIDE-06.jpg

The grave of 11-year-old Maria ‘Therese’ Caguin at All Souls Cemetery in Vallejo, Calif., on Feb. 10, 2023. Maria took her life on Jan. 2, after being repeatedly bullied at Hogan Middle School in Vallejo. The family is suing the school district. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)

https://www.baycitynews.com/images/BCN-20230210-SUICIDE-07.jpg

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Oakland Post: Week of November 27 – December 3, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 27 – December 3, 2024, 2024

Published

3 days ago

November 30, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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OCCUR Hosts “Faith Forward” Conference in Oakland

The conference featured Congresswoman-elect Lateefah Simon, who will begin her term representing California’s 12th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives in January.
Simon was honored with a special recognition from OCCUR for her civic and nonprofit leadership.

Published

1 week ago

November 24, 2024

Oakland Post

President and CEO of OCCUR addresses the audience at OCCUR Faith Forward 2024 Conference at Resurrection Church. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Oakland Citizens Committee for Urban Renewal (OCCUR) hosted its Faith Forward 2024 Conference on Nov. 8 at Resurrection Church in Oakland.

The conference featured Congresswoman-elect Lateefah Simon, who will begin her term representing California’s 12^th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives in January.

Simon was honored with a special recognition from OCCUR for her civic and nonprofit leadership. During her remarks, She commended nonprofits making a difference, and shared how she looked forward to representing Oakland and surrounding areas.

Simon also encouraged attendees to continue fighting despite their concerns about the presidential election results. She also cautioned that there may be resources that are discontinued as a result.

“We know the assignment. We have many of the resources right within our own community, and we will be ok,” Simon assured the audience.

The conference led by OCCUR president, Dr. David B. Franklin, also featured panels on funding opportunities, case studies, economic development, sustainable housing solutions, and organizing for action.

“In order for organizations serving the community to thrive, everyone must collaborate, share resources, and not operate in silos,” said Franklin.

Speakers included San Francisco Foundation CEO, Fred Blackwell, San Francisco Foundation FAITHS Program Director Dr. Michelle Chambers, and Kingmakers of Oakland Founder, Chris Chatmon. Guests were briefed on how Kingmakers of Oakland has gone from a budget of zero to several million and is set to acquire 200 acres of property to expand their programs serving young boys. The leadership at the San Francisco Foundation encouraged nonprofits, churches, and community leaders to work together, especially when donations and funding numbers are lower.

Ben Bartlett of Berkeley City Council; Trevor Parham, CEO of Oakstop; and CEO of the Lao Family Community Development, Inc., Kathy Chao Rothberg, inspired attendees with stories about their journeys in the nonprofit sector.

Additional speakers included Deka Dike, CEO of Omatachi; Landis Green, CEO of DGS Strategies; Sasha Werblin, Director of Economic Development, LISC Bay Area; Oakland City Councilmember Treva Reid; Faith and Justice Organizer of East Bay Housing Organizations, Ronnie Boyd; and Todd Bendon, Executive Director of Faith in Action East Bay; among others.

The event allowed community leaders, faith-based leaders, and nonprofits to gain Insight on how to strengthen their profits financially, and communally.

OCCUR has served the community for over 70 years supporting the wellbeing of historically marginalized communities with collaborative strategies. For more information visit occurnow.org

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Bay Area

Richmond’s New Fire Chief Sworn In

“Chief Osorio rose up through the ranks in the Richmond Fire Department over the last 21 years before being elevated to chief,” noted Harpreet Sandhu, field representative for Congressmember John Garamendi,. “He joined the department in 2002 and has served in multiple roles including firefighter, engineer, captain, battalion chief, training director and deputy fire chief.”

Published

1 week ago

November 24, 2024

Oakland Post

Chief Osorio (far left) was sworn in at a well-attended ceremony at Richmond City Hall on Nov. 15. All photos by Mike Kinney.

By Mike Kinney
The Richmond Standard

Richmond Fire Chief Aaron Osorio was sworn into his new role in a well-attended ceremony at Richmond City Council Chambers on Friday, Nov. 15.

The crowd included Osorio’s family and friends, rank-and-file Richmond firefighters, fellow fire chiefs from Bay Area agencies, elected officials and community members.

Richmond City Manager Shasa Curl provided an introduction and acknowledged Chief Osorio’s “heroic service to Richmond.”

Harpreet Sandhu, field representative for Congressmember John Garamendi, presented the chief with a Congressional Commendation, citing his 23 years of serving in the fire service in Richmond in numerous positions.

“Chief Osorio rose up through the ranks in the Richmond Fire Department over the last 21 years before being elevated to chief,” Sandhu noted. “He joined the department in 2002 and has served in multiple roles including firefighter, engineer, captain, battalion chief, training director and deputy fire chief.”

The chief’s wife, Maria, and two sons Roman and Mateo helped perform the badge-pinning.

Richmond City Clerk Pamela Christian then conducted the swearing-in ceremony.

Chief Osorio thanked his family, colleagues, and city for their support, calling it “very humbling” to take on leadership of an “amazing organization.”

Once the ceremony was done, the chief stated, “I’m ready to get to work.”