10-year old black, autistic student dies by suicide

By Tina Fares and Miraya Aggrawal

Isabella (Izzy) Tichenor, a 10-year-old black, autistic student in Utah, passed away on Saturday after committing suicide after being bullied by her fellow classmates even after her parents complained.

The attorney Tyler Ayres tells CNN, “Izzy was a happy child. She was a happy little girl, she did well in school … All she wanted was to be connected with family and friends.”

CNN states that Izzy’s mother and stepfather, Brittany Clark Tichenor Cox and Charles Cox, said they became aware their daughter was being bullied around September. She was told she stank, called the n-word, and more.

Her parents also reached out to Izzy’s teacher to complain, but they were not getting anywhere. With this in mind, they went to the principal who directed them to the vice-principal who did not do anything. They explain that they felt “very unheard and just very disregarded.”

CNN also writes that representatives from the Foxboro Elementary School PTA joined the Tichenor family at a Monday morning press conference about Izzy’s death. Also, on Thursday, the NBA’s Utah Jazz held a moment of silence during their game against the Indiana Pacers to mourn Izzy’s death.