NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - A Newport News School Board meeting was packed on Tuesday night for an item that was not on the agenda: bullying.
Loved ones of Woodside High School freshman, Dejah Jones, 14, say they showed up to get answers and encouraged others concerned about bullying to join them.
Dejah took her own lifeone month ago. Her family members that came to the school board meeting say they believe bullying played a part in her death and they have not gotten any feedback from Woodside.
They also want to make sure no other families will have to feel the pain they had to endure over the past few weeks.
"We're not accusing anyone of anything because we don't know the inner-workings," says Valerie Jones, Dejah's great aunt. "Whatever happened to Dejah that Friday night at school at Woodside was the trigger for her. I would like to see that Dejah's situation is not swept under the carpet."
Parents and even Newport News Public School students came out to share their own stories.
"I have always been bullied just because of my height, I get hurt every day," said a seventh grader at Gildersleeve Middle School.
School board members patiently listened to every speaker and eventually responded to the pleas for them to take action.
"This message tonight that you've brought us speaks directly to our hearts," said Jeff Stodghill, chairman.
Some of the speakers brought up school security. Stodghill said the bullying issue is something they are constantly working on, but one of their focuses is getting the students involved.
"So they congregate, they build relationships, and we don't leave them alone, so that the forces of bullying and cyber bullying don't eat away at them."
Superintendent Dr. Ashby Kilgore told NewsChannel 3 she has been in constant communication with Dejah's mother, who was not at the school board meeting with other family members.
