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A Texas schools district has confirmed that 11-year-old Jocelynn Rojo Carranza, who devastatingly took her own life earlier this month, received a torrent of ICE-related abuse from fellow students.
Carranza died on February 8 after spending five days being treated in a Dallas hospital due to an undisclosed injury. Her tragic death came after she was taunted with deportation threats for weeks by sixth-grade classmates at Gainesville Intermediate School, around 70 miles north of Dallas, her grieving mother Marbella Carranza revealed earlier this month
But now, the Gainsville Independent Schools District has concluded its investigation revealing the crucial interactions that led to her death.
In the report, signed by Gainsville ISD Superintendant DesMontes Stewart, Ed.D. Thursday, it says that the bullying first came to the attention of school officials on January 30 when the principal entered a classroom and overheard the whole class speaking about ICE.
That day, Carranza told the principal “that a student on the bus was making remarks regarding ICE and deportation to a group of Hispanic students,” according to the report.
A day later, the director of transportation confirmed the student’s remarks to the assistant principal, corroborating Carranza’s allegations.
However the remarks on the bus were being directed at a group of Hispanic students, stated the report, not Carranza. But despite not being sat with the group, she “was close enough to hear the remarks” and the Gainsville ISD revealed this had happened on more than one occasion.
“The student [responsible for the remarks] was identified, interviewed, and disciplinary consequences were issued by campus administration on January 31, 2025, in accordance with the GISD Student Code of Conduct,” the school statement read.
After that, the investigation says that Carranza was “positive” and even attended a birthday party the following weekend, two days before she took her own life.
It was not until February 6, after the 11-year-old was hospitalized, that students told officials that they believed Carranza and her brother were both victims of other bullying incidents. That investigation was closed on February 12. The findings were shared with her mother.
During that investigation, it emerged that Carranza told someone that she had been “inappropriately touched” by a family member. She asked the person she told not to say anything as she didn’t want anyone to get into trouble. An investigation into that allegation is still ongoing.
The investigation from the district also revealed that Carranza previously expressed thoughts of self-harm to her cousin, who then informed her mother, Marbella Carranza. The district never learned of self-harming until after Carranza’s death. In the report, it says they would have administered resources and an intervention.
In a meeting with a school counselor in October 2024, Carranza made no mention of being bullied. Carranza had an 8-week hiatus of no attendance at the sessions from November 13, 2024, to January 15 for an unknown reason.
The district also disputes Marbella Carranza’s allegation that she didn’t know her daughter part of a social-emotional learning group that sought to help students deal with their emotions. The report says that Marbella would have signed a permission slip to allow for her participation in the group.
Following the release of this latest report, Carranza’s mother told NBC DFW: “Nothing about that is true… I don’t know why they committed, like, why he said that, because I talk with my daughter about that, always. I ask. Nobody can touch your body, nobody.”
“It appears the school was aware of it all, but they never, they never told me what was happening with my daughter,” Carranza first told media outlets.
So far, a fundraiser page set up on the young girls’ behalf has raised nearly $55,000.
Superintendent Stewart shared the following statement: “GISD has remained fully supportive of the family throughout this difficult time. The district’s schools, PTO groups, and staff donations have contributed thousands of dollars, as well as gift cards and food to support the family’s needs. Additionally, I personally met with the mother and a family member to address any questions they had regarding the investigation.”
They added: “As a reminder, we ask that if any student sees, hears, or believes that a fellow student may need support, they promptly alert a staff member or administrator so that appropriate resources can be provided.”
The Independent contacted the Gainsville ISD, Marbella Carranza, the Gainesville Police Department, and the CPS for comment.
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you. In the UK, people having mental health crises can contact the Samaritans at 116 123 or [email protected]
