Family Speaks Out After ‘Happy’ 10-Year-Old Daughter Dies by Suicide Following Reports of Bullying

Human Interest Family Speaks Out After ‘Happy’ 10-Year-Old Daughter Dies by Suicide Following Reports of Bullying Isabella Tichenor’s family said she was an “amazing, kind, and beautiful 10-year-old” who “touched the hearts of everyone she came in contact with” By Joelle Goldstein Joelle Goldstein Instagram Twitter Joelle Goldstein is the Staff Editor of TV for PEOPLE Digital. She has been with the brand for five years, beginning her time as a digital news writer, where she covered everything from entertainment news to crime stories and royal tours. Since then, she has worked as a writer-reporter on the Human Interest team and an associate editor on the TV team. In her current role, Joelle helps oversee all things TV, and enjoys being able to say she has to watch The Kardashians, America’s Got Talent, Love Is Blind and Dancing with the Stars for her “work” responsibilities. Prior to joining PEOPLE, Joelle was employed at The Hollywood Reporter, where she was co-nominated at the 2019 GLAAD Media Awards for Outstanding Magazine Article for feature cover story. She graduated from Ithaca College with a Bachelors in Television-Radio (and an appearance in the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Final Four!) People Editorial Guidelines Published on November 11, 2021 07:16 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Isabella “Izzy” Tichenor. Photo: Tichenor Family A Utah family is expressing their anguish after their 10-year-old daughter, who they believe was being bullied in school, tragically died by suicide over the weekend. The family of Isabella “Izzy” Tichenor said they were left heartbroken and shocked after discovering that she had taken her own life on Saturday, NBC affiliate KSL-TV reported. “What happened to her, she did not deserve that,” Jasmine Rhodes, Izzy’s aunt, told reporters at a press conference on Monday. “She deserved opportunities as any other kid deserves opportunities. She deserved to watch her siblings grow up … She just deserved so much more than what she got.” Izzy’s mom, Brittany Tichenor-Cox, said that Izzy — who was Black and had autism — reported being “belittled and bullied” at Foxboro Elementary School in North Salt Lake prior to her death, CBS affiliate KUTV reported. She claimed the school did nothing to resolve the issue. “She was a happy little girl,” Tichenor-Cox said during the news conference, per KSL News Radio. “But as we all know, even as adults, you know there are some voices that rang higher.” In a statement to PEOPLE, the Davis School District said they were “devastated by the death” of Izzy and continuing to investigate the matter. “We, like everyone, are devastated by the death of this child. Our hearts go out to the family,” the statement reads. “Foxboro Elementary has worked extensively with the family and will continue to provide help to them and others impacted by this tragedy. We take all incidents and reports of bullying seriously. At this point, the incident we are aware of involved another student. The teacher and administration responded quickly and appropriately. As with all allegations of bullying, our investigation will continue.” Isabella “Izzy” Tichenor. Tichenor Family 9-Year-Old Alabama Girl Dies by Suicide After Months of Bullying, Says Family: ‘We’re Heartbroken’ According to a GoFundMe page set up on behalf of Izzy’s family, the 10-year-old was “an amazing, kind, and beautiful” girl who “touched the hearts of everyone she came in contact with.” “She was her mommy’s best friend, the best big sister, and a light in this world,” wrote Tamika Naea, the page’s organizer. Izzy’s obituary also stated that she “loved to sing [and] dance” and “wanted to be a professional dancer in New York or a professional cheerleader when she grew up.” “She was a beautifully unique soul — full of love and kindness. She was bright and gifted,” the obit said. Izzy’s grandmother, Pauletta Harris, echoed those sentiments, calling Izzy a “happy little girl” who was full of “hope and dreams,” according to KSL-TV. “Being a 10-year-old, I don’t know if Izzy understood self-love,” Harris told the outlet. “I just know from what I witnessed from her, being around her, she was proud of being Isabella. She was happy with Isabella.” Isabella “Izzy” Tichenor. Tichenor Family 10-Year-Old California Girl Dies by Apparent Suicide as Police Note ‘Some Rumors’ of Bullying But things got tougher for Izzy this year after she claimed to Tichenor-Cox that she was being teased by her classmates and didn’t think the teacher liked her because she didn’t interact with her in the same way that she did with other students, KSL-TV reported. Tichenor-Cox also recalled one instance where Izzy brought air freshener to school after the teacher told the class they smelled, which she claimed led to Izzy being tormented more, per the outlet. “As any parent would, we reported this abuse to her teachers, the school administration, and the district administration,” Tichenor-Cox told KUTV. “Nothing. Nothing was done to protect Izzy. Children did not have their behavior corrected so the torment of this child continued day after day.” Despite everything, Tichenor-Cox said there were no indications that Izzy was contemplating suicide. “I didn’t know she thought like that. I was so involved with her at school,” Tichenor-Cox said, per KUTV. “You don’t know what a child is going through mentally.” On the day that Izzy died, her mom said nothing seemed out of the ordinary. “Right before she passed, we were just talking about doing her book report,” Tichenor-Cox recalled to KSL-TV, noting that she then stepped away, and just a few minutes later, was alerted by two of her other children that Izzy had died after they found her body. Isabella “Izzy” Tichenor. Tichenor Family Bullied Teen Who Killed Herself Apologized for Being Ugly, Didn’t Want Any Photos at Funeral Though devastated, Izzy’s family has been speaking out about the tragedy in hopes of raising awareness about mental health, suicide and bullying with children. “We are going to be Izzy’s voice,” Harris told KUTV. “We are going to ring this bell as loud as we can because we are going to stop this bullying. That little girl had spark, that little girl had hopes and dreams.” Added her mom to KSL News Radio: “We need to make sure that whatever flaw our children have, that we make sure they understand [it] is not a flaw. That is what makes you, you. That’s what makes you special.” A vigil was held for Izzy on Tuesday evening while over $70,000 has been donated in her memory on the GoFundMe page. In a follow-up statement on Wednesday, obtained by PEOPLE, Tichenor-Cox and her husband Charles Cox requested that people honor Izzy’s life by helping others in need. “Izzy was always thinking of others. Let us offer love to those who may feel they are not worthy of it. Let us offer a kind word or gesture to those who need to hear and feel it. Let us have conversations about racism, disabilities, bullying and mental illness, even if they are hard and maybe uncomfortable conversations to have. We must have them. Talk to your children, learn who they are and remind them that they are loved,” they said. “We ask that you Stand for Izzy.” RELATED VIDEO: Young Boy Commits Suicide and Claims School ‘Didn’t Do Anything’ Izzy’s tragic death comes close to two weeks after a federal civil rights investigation determined that the Davis School District was “deliberately indifferent” to reports of racial harassment for Black and Asian-American students, according to KUTV. Following the two-year investigation, which cited over 200 documented uses of the N-word and other racial harassments dating back to the 2015-2016 school year, the district was placed under the supervision of the Department of Justice, per the outlet. In a statement to KUTV at the time, a spokesperson for Davis School District said the district “takes these findings very seriously. They do not reflect the values of this community and the expectations of the district. The district pledges to correct these practices.” “The agreement details specific steps the district will take to strengthen its procedures, training and practices for investigation and resolving allegations of racial harassment and discrimination,” the statement continued, in part. “This important work begins immediately and will continue over the next several years. Within the next 30 days, the district will share additional information with parents, staff, and students outlining the initial steps it will take to implement the needed changes.” If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.