Father of LA Student Who Died by Suicide Demands Accountability for Alleged Bully

The father of Xavier Nungaray-Martinez, a 17-year-old student at Benjamin Franklin High School who died by suicide after allegedly being bullied, is demanding accountability for the student accused of tormenting his son. William Amaya stated that the accused boy should be held responsible for his actions, emphasizing that bullying was a significant factor in his son's death.

"He should be accountable for what he did," Amaya told the California Post. "Bullying was a factor. I don’t think no one in their right mind would jump off the fourth floor."

Amaya, who protested outside an LA Unified School District (LAUSD) board meeting on Tuesday, also expressed concern over the absence of law enforcement on school grounds. He believes the tragedy could have been prevented if police were present.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruled Xavier's death on September 30 as a suicide, citing multiple blunt traumatic injuries to the head and torso. However, Amaya asserted that his son was not suicidal and had future plans.

Video footage reportedly shows Xavier being verbally taunted and physically assaulted by a classmate in a classroom, with an elderly teacher attempting to intervene. The video allegedly depicts Xavier running into an outdoor hallway, pursued by the other student, before jumping from a fourth-floor railing.

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is investigating the incident but stated in the preliminary stages that they had not found evidence directly linking bullying allegations to the student's death. The student accused of bullying Xavier has not been publicly identified, and no charges have been filed against him.

Amaya expressed that neither the school, the district, nor the LAPD has contacted his family. An LAUSD spokesperson offered condolences but declined to comment on individual circumstances due to privacy laws.

Amaya, an alumnus of Franklin High School, noted a perceived decline in campus conditions since his time in the early 2000s, recalling the presence of at least two police officers who managed discipline and broke up fights.

In February 2021, the LAUSD school board voted to remove school police officers from campuses, replacing them with "school climate coaches." Xavier's aunt, Stephanie Amaya, is advocating for the reinstatement of police officers on all campuses, stating, "We need every single school and every single kid to have a chance and feel protected. We need accountability, we need extra police, we need protection for our kids in school."

Stephanie Amaya has also organized a petition urging the LAUSD to enhance security measures. The petition calls for the installation of security cameras, the placement of trained police officers on every campus, improved training for security staff, more communication devices for staff, and safer railings on all floors. As of Tuesday, the petition had garnered over 680 signatures.

A GoFundMe campaign established to assist Xavier's family with funeral expenses had raised over $189,000 of its $200,000 goal by Tuesday afternoon.