TREVORTON - A Trevorton woman said her daughter was so upset about the continued bullying of Britney Tongel that she started a fight with one of the alleged bullies that resulted in a 20-day suspension from school.
The incident shortly before the Christmas break is further indication, the mother said, that Line Mountain officials were aware of bullying involving Tongel, a 17-year-old sophomore who was found dead Wednesday morning in her Trevorton home, reportedly by suicide.
"I'm just astonished that they act like they know nothing about it," the mother, who declined to give her name, said about school officials. "They know who my daughter stood up for."
The woman said she contacted The News-Item after reading comments from the father of a student and Superintendent Dave Campbell's reaction in a story in Saturday's edition. The father said he had approached high school Principal Jeffrey Roadcap two months ago about his daughter and
Tongel being bullied, but Campbell, in response, reiterated his position that the school was not aware of a problem. Roadcap was not available for comment Friday.
When contacted Saturday night about the Trevorton woman's claim that school officials were aware of bullying involving Tongel, Campbell said, "We received no reports from Tongel's foster parents about bullying. As far as a fight involving one of the alleged bullies, I'm not going to talk about that issue because I can't. It's a private incident. The family can talk about it, but I can't."
According to discussions online about Tongel's death, two girls had reportedly posted messages on a social networking site created by Tongel telling her to kill herself. State police at Stonington are investigating the case, and said Friday they are aware of the bullying allegations and are pursuing that angle. Police have taken possession of Tongel's computer.
Tongel was pronounced dead at 7:05 a.m. Wednesday. A cause of death has not been revealed by police or the Northumberland County Coroner's Office.
Tongel's foster parents, Terry and Lisa Laforme, who live along Route 225 in Trevorton, have told The News-Item they would like to comment on the situation, but will not while the investigation into their daughter's death continues.
Meanwhile, however, those in the community are speaking up.
The mother who called Saturday said she believes she knows the identity of the father who was quoted because of their shared connection to Tongel's bullying. Both have asked to remain anonymous, fearing further problems for their daughters.
The woman said she knows her daughter was wrong for starting the fight and deserved to be punished, but that the scars of a physical confrontation can quickly heal, while those left by bullying take much longer to go away, if they do at all.
She said she wasn't aware if the other girl involved in the fight was punished.
The mother said she realizes school officials can't do much about the alleged cyberbullying involved in this and other cases, but that they should "take some responsibility."
She said her understanding of the issue with Tongel is that it started online, but carried into the school. The woman said her daughter warned the girl who was bullying Tongel to leave her alone, but that it got worse, and that's why she eventually started a fight with the
girl.
Campbell has said that the school addresses bullying through in-school programs, and that an assembly that would involve parents is being planned. He said the fact that so many students use digital technology is taking bullying "off-campus," and that parents need to be aware of the problem, too.
Meanwhile, the mother said she has been in touch with Britney's foster care caseworker, and that "we're not going to stop until something's done."
A vigil in tribute to Tongel is planned for 6:30 p.m. today at the Trevorton Athletic Association baseball fields at the west end of the village.