Family Wants Action After Death Threats Against Coachella Student Posted on Social Media

“I’m scared for my brother,” says Kala Rojas as she describes the nightmare her family has been dealing with the bullying of her 13-year-old brother that has gone into dangerous territory: death threats. 

Disturbing images of her brother with a gun to his head were posted to social media and that’s not all.

“Another kid came to him at school and told him, ‘Jeremiah this kid told me to tell you that how do you want to be killed with an AK-47 or stabbed?’” she says.

She says it all started after her brother and another student got suspended for illegal activity at Cahuilla Desert Academy. When he returned to school the bullying started, “Fifteen to 20 kids surrounding him you know bullying telling him things and then wanting to jump him.”

His sister says even though her brother took the blame, the students accuse him of telling on the other student. The theme now that haunts him not just at school but on social media and texts.

She says, she fears it’s becoming too real, “I know they’re willing to get him after school, they even text him and they told him, ‘What’s your address,’ they want his address they want to know where he lives, they know what bus stop he’s at so I know it’s going to happen sooner or later and I‘m scared.”

She says the principal did tell the family she’s against bullying and is taking action and they do have a meeting with the superintendent of Coachella Valley Unified School District on Monday but Jeremiah’s mother is so afraid for his safety she’s not sending him to school.

“My brother still feels like he’s not safe,” she says adding that parents need to monitor their children more closely, especially on social media and digital devices to help stop the senseless violence.

“I see so many little kids dying because of bullying,” she says.

A 13-year-old Moreno Valley student named Diego died after being assaulted in school. His death is weighing on her mind.

She says she and her family felt it was necessary to speak out.

Kayla says she’s not only speaking out for her brother, she says everyone must act to end the epidemic of bullying, “I’m not going to let this happen to my brother and I‘m not going to let this happen to any other kid int he valley because this has gone too far.”

We reached out to the principal of Cahuilla Desert Academy, she referred us to the Coachella Valley Unified School District.

CVUSD Superintendent, Dr. Maria Gandera sent us this statement:

 We are working with the parents of all students involved in this situation and will be offering a variety of supports as needed individually. We take the safety of our students extremely seriously and that is why we have been implementing our Transformational Justice Blended Model in order to provide a safer and more positive learning environment at all our sites.  Disciplinary measures are utilized when needed but then restorative practices are brought in to support ALL our students.