Las Vegas girl, 12, kills herself after being tormented by bullies at school for months

A 12-year-old Las Vegas girl took her own life after being tormented by bullies at her middle school for months.

Flora Martinez, a sixth grader at Keller Middle School, killed herself on May 7 - eight months and one day after her transfer out of Duane D. Keller middle school was denied. Her funeral was on Thursday. 

Her distraught parents are now blaming the Clark County School District for not doing enough to protect their daughter.

Grieving mother, Alice Martinez told News8: 'I feel like the school had a duty to keep her safe, while she was in their care and they just failed miserably.' 

The young girl's parents said their daughter's peers started bullying her early into the school year. Flora's mother claimed both she and her child approached the assistant principal for help. 

The mom then submitted paperwork for her daughter's transfer out of the middle school, but her request was denied in October. 

Flora Martinez, 12, took her own life on May 7 after months and months of bullying 

Flora's mother said she had taken her daughter out of school for two weeks early in the school year when the bullying began, but when she returned to school it intensified.

'Everybody that had a hand in that request to transfer her failed her. If you’re a parent and you’re not outraged by this, you’re part of the problem too,' Martinez said.

Flora's dad Joshua Parker said: 'This wasn’t just one incident that happened, and you know, she decided to take her life. 

'This was months and months and months of bullying that built up, and finally, she just couldn’t take it no more.'

The heartbroken father added: 'Look how hard it was on my daughter. My daughter was literally bullied to death.'

Flora's parents described their daughter as artistic. Someone who was 'full of life, and empathetic who loved 'ice cream and seafood.' 

DailyMail.com reached out to the Clark county School District for comment. 

The tragic tale comes just days after it emerged a 10-year-old boy, Sammy Teusch, had killed himself in Indiana on March 5 following relentless bullying at school about his teeth and glasses.  

His parents from Greenfield said they complained to his school repeatedly but were ignored. His funeral was on Tuesday, and attended by hundreds.

Flora standing with her dad who was holding a sign 'My sweetheart' 

Flora's grief-stricken parents, Alice Martinez and Joshua Parker, claim the school failed them and did not protect their daughter

Duane D. Keller Middle School located at North Fogg Street is the school Flora attended. The school teaches students grades six through nine, and has a student population of 1,189 

Sammy's parents Sam and Nichole said their son was subjected to both physical and emotional bullying at his school, and was being tormented daily up until the night he passed away.

They said the bullying began last year when he was in elementary school, and followed him to Greenfield Intermediate School.

The harassment escalated to a recent incident on a school bus where he was allegedly beaten up. Sammy's parents claimed they told teachers and school staff about the bullying 20 times but no action was taken.

His father Sam told WTHR: 'They were making fun of him for his glasses in the beginning, then on to make fun of his teeth. It went on for a long time.'

'I held him in my arms. I did the thing no father should ever have to do, and anytime I close my eyes, it's all I can see.'

The abuse then got physical, with Sam adding: 'He was beat up on the school bus, and the kids broke his glasses and everything.

'I called the school, and I'm like, 'What are you doing about this? It keeps getting worse, and worse, and worse. And it's not getting any better. In fact, it's getting worse.'

Sammy Teusch, 10, killed himself on May 5 after suffering horrific bullying

Greenfield Community Schools superintendent Dr. Harold Olin told WTHR that no bullying report was ever submitted by the parents or by Sammy.

He added that school administrators and counselors had been in regular contact with the family, but declined to offer specifics of these discussions.

Sam added: '[The school] knew this was going on', with the bullying going from the school and the bus to social media platforms like Snapchat.

His mom Nichole said: 'He was my little boy. He was my baby. He was the youngest one.'

Read More

Hundreds gather for funeral of bullied 10-year-old Sammy Teusch who killed himself after being teased over his 'teeth and glasses'

Greenfield-Central Community School said in a statement: 'The death of Samuel Teusch is tragic, and it has left our school corporation and larger community in tremendous grief. Our hearts pour out to the family at this time.

'Sammy was a student in Greenfield-Central for the last year and a half. He finished his 3rd grade year at Weston Elementary School in May of 2023, and he was a 4th grade student at Greenfield Intermediate School during the current 2023-24 school year.

'We were made aware of his death on Sunday afternoon, and we dispatched our crisis response team to both Greenfield Intermediate School and Greenfield Central Junior High School (where he has two siblings) to start the week.

'Our staff in Greenfield-Central has worked with the Teusch family quite a bit over the last 18 months. Contact between school personnel and the parents was frequent.

'The parents did report the manner of death as a suicide, and we are investigating their claims related to bullying.

'While the investigation continues, we are primarily focusing our resources on meeting the immediate needs of the students we serve in Greenfield-Central Schools.'

Indiana police have now launched an investigation into the shock suicide and have said his classmates could face criminal charges.