The tragic death of 11-year-old Jocelynn Rojo Carranza is under investigation by school police in Gainesville, Texas, following allegations that she was bullied by classmates about her family’s immigration status. Jocelynn died on February 8, five days after her mother, Marbella Carranza, found her unresponsive at home.
In an interview, Marbella Carranza revealed that Jocelynn faced taunts at school, with students threatening to call immigration authorities to have her parents taken away. She expressed her shock at learning of the bullying, stating, “I never knew anything about that,” and added that her daughter showed no signs of distress.
Carranza claims the school was aware of the bullying but did not inform her. She learned that Jocelynn had been receiving counseling for the issue only after speaking with investigators. “It appears the school was aware of it all, but they never told me,” Carranza lamented, seeking justice on behalf of her daughter.
An investigation has been launched by the Gainesville Independent School District Police, who are looking into the bullying allegations. The district maintains that it has policies in place to address bullying but has not confirmed whether they were aware of Jocelynn’s situation.
Marbella Carranza described the moment she found her daughter on February 3, saying, “They were still working on her, trying to revive her; she had been without life for a long time.” Jocelynn’s funeral was held on February 7, mourning a young life lost amid the silence surrounding her struggles.