Photo: Courtesy Eddwina Harris
McKenzie Adams was a 9-year-old fourth-grader with a “bubbly, fun-loving personality” who loved to tell stories and wanted to be a scientist when she grew up. But her life was cut short on Dec. 3 when she hanged herself in her grandmother’s home in Linden, Alabama, after enduring months of bulling, her family says.
“Something happened that day from one of these bullies that pushed my niece over to the edge,” Adams aunt, Eddwina Harris, 33, tells PEOPLE. “It’s an emotional roller coaster. We’re heartbroken.”
Harris says that Adams, who attended U.S. Jones Elementary School in Demopolis, returned home that day and did her homework like always. Adams then excused herself to go to the bathroom, and her grandmother noticed that the little girl had been gone longer than usual.
“She went to the bathroom and the door was locked. [Her grandmother] said, ‘Unlock the door. What are you doing?’ ” Harris recalls of Adams’ grandmother, whom the little girl lived with. “She ran and got a butter knife and she unlocked the door. She found McKenzie.”
Jasmine (left) and McKenzie Adams.Courtesy Eddwina Harris
Crying and screaming, Adams’ grandmother called 911. Medical officials arrived and performed CPR on the little girl. Adams died later at Bryan W. Whitfield Memorial Hospital, Harris says.
“The first couple of days [after the death], my sister cried herself to sleep,” Harris says of Adams’ mother. “It was really tough for her. I’m using all my strength to fight for McKenzie. My fight is to get her justice.”
The family says Adams’ death came after months of bullying at the Demopolis school. Harris says that Adams, her mother and grandmother complained several times to school officials who did nothing about the abuse.
‘That Was My Angel’
Adams’ mother, Jasmine Adams, toldCBS Newsthat she feels the school system let her daughter down.
“She told me that this one particular child was writing her nasty notes in class,” Jasmine said, adding “that was my angel.”
McKenzie Adams.Courtesy Eddwina Harris
She added: “Part of it could have been because she rode to school with a white family. And a lot of it was race. Some of the student bullies would say to her, ‘Why you riding with white people? You’re black, you’re ugly. You should just die.’ ”
Harris says U.S. Jones Elementary was a predominantly white school, and Adams’ bullies were boys and girls both Black and white.
The statement reads in part: “In response to the recent tragic the loss of a Demopolis City School System student, The Demopolis City School System does extend its heartfelt wishes and condolences to the family, friends, students and teachers that have been affected. We have concluded our internal investigation to the allegations of bullying which led to this senseless death.”
Staggering Statistics
Neither Demopolis nor Linden police officials immediately responded to a request for comment from PEOPLE.
Courtesy Eddwina Harris
Harris says she rejects the school’s claims that the bullying was never reported. She says the family spoke with school officials on several occasions, and noted a particular instance in which the assistant principal allegedly promised the family she would monitor Adams’ classroom after the reports.
“Bullying at the school is what led my niece to this. McKenzie told the family and the teachers and the administrators. They all knew. My mom came to the school to talk about the bullying,” Harris says, adding that school officials once moved McKenzie’s seat in class as a result of the bullying.
Harris says Adams returned from school emotionally exhausted some days. And her family always spoke with her and did all they could to help.
Now, Harris says she and her family are taking action against bullying. The family hasset up a GoFundMe pageto raise money for The McKenzie Foundation, to support kids who have or are being bullied.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “help” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go tosuicidepreventionlifeline.org.
source: people.com
