Family of victim issues statement:
The family of the 13-year old girl who died Tuesday night issued a statement Wednesday afternoon.
It read: "We the family of the young lady mentioned in the previous article respectfully ask that you respect the wishes of our family now in our time of mourning. We understand that there are many people concerned and hurting at this time but please respect the family. Collectively pray for our family, loved ones and our community.
Hinesville police are investigating the death of a 13-year-old Snelson-Golden Middle School student, and a woman claims the girl committed suicide because of bullying.
Hinesville Police Department Assistant Chief Bill Kirkendall confirmed the investigation, but not the woman’s allegation nor provide details.
The mother of a SGMS student said Wednesday her daughter also is being bullied at the school and was dismissed early Wednesday afternoon after an incident involving two other girls.
School officials did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday.
The woman, Latoria Chisholm, said a friend of her daughter, also 13, was bullied to the point she committed suicide Tuesday night.
Chisolm said her daughter fears going to SGMS and has talked about ending her life. The woman said she has contacted the Liberty County School Board regarding the bullying, and said she is angry with both board officials and SGMS Principal Roland Van Horn, for not doing enough to stop the bullying.
Chisolm said her daughter was jumped Wednesday, and fought back.
“The two girls are being suspended and they were going to suspend my daughter too because they said she initiated the fight,” Chisholm said. “But they pulled the tapes to show me and the girl pulled my daughter’s hair and my daughter fought back. So I told them they weren’t about to suspend my child for defending herself.”
Chisholm said the school did not suspend her daughter, but allowed her to be dismissed early.
She said one of the suspended students continued to harass her daughter by text message.
“I told the school…you are just suspending them for a couple of days and they are already texting my daughter. What makes you think they are going to change,” she said, adding her daughter has a right to attend a safe school.