Some parents of South Hadley High School students expressed outrage Monday night that no school officials were charged in the Massachusetts cyberbullying, suicide case.
Nine teenagers have been charged in bullying a girl who committed suicide."This should have never happened and they should have done something about it," said one mother who attended the town's first anti-bullying task force meeting at the high school. "I think they should be brought up on charges as well."
Another mother accused the town of "hiding behind whatever it is they can get away with hiding behind."
Northwestern District Attorney Elizabeth Scheibel Monday charged nine teens in connection with the alleged "unrelenting" bullying of 15-year-old Phoebe Prince, who hanged herself Jan. 14 after nearly three months of apparently routine torment by students at the school, via text messages and through social networking site Facebook.
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Teen Tortured by Cyberbullies Hangs HerselfWATCH: Cyberbullying Blamed for Teen's SuicideWATCH: 9-Year-Old Hangs Himself at SchoolTwo of the students face charges of statutory rape, which Scheibel refused to discuss. None of the teenagers charged commented when contacted by ABC News.
Scheibel made no mention of any action against school officials, even though she said school administrators knew of the alleged bullying.
"Prior to Phoebe's death, her mother spoke with at least two school staff members. ...The actions or inactions of some adults at the school are troublesome," Scheibel said.
State Representative John Scibak, who represents the western Massachusetts town, said he believed there should be disciplinary action taken against school officials.
"I think if people knew about it and did not report it, this is a very serious allegation and one that really needs to be investigated," Scibak said on "Good Morning America" this morning.
The school board said it would review the evidence from the district attorney's investigation, which it said did not come to light in its own investigation.
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