An 11-year-old Texas girl died by suicide after allegedly being bullied by her school peers over her family’s immigration status, according to her heartbroken mother.
Jocelyn Rojo Carranza was found unresponsive by her mom in their Gainesville, Texas, home on Feb. 3 and died five days later. She was buried on Wednesday, according to her online obituary.
at her school, according to reports. Legacy.com
The little girl’s mother, Marbella Carranza, claimed that her daughter was bullied by fellow students at Gainesville Intermediate School — who she said mocked her family’s immigration status and threatened to call ICE.
“They were going to call immigration so they could take her parents away and she would be left alone,” Carranza told CNN affiliate station KUVN.
Carranza further claimed that she and her husband were kept in the dark about counseling Jocelyn had received at school for the alleged bullying.
“It appears the school was aware of it all, but they never — they never told me what was happening with my daughter,” Carranza told the outlet. “It appears she would go once or twice a week to counseling to report what was happening.”
The grieving mother did not address the family’s immigration status in the interview.
“[I want] justice because it’s not fair — the school was negligent for not keeping me informed of what was going on with my daughter,” Carranza said.
The Gainesville Independent School District did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.
Her funeral, at St. Mary Catholic Church on Wednesday, was attended by hundreds including dozens of family members mourning the loss of the innocent child.
Little Jocelyn was remembered as a sweet and joyful girl who played the French horn, was an avid swimmer, and loved getting manicures with her beloved grandmother.
She is survived by her parents Ernesto Rojo and Marabella Carranza and seven brothers and sisters.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
