MORENO VALLEY, CALIFORNIA: Martinrex Kedziora, a California school superintendent, was removed from his position shortly after the school district was ordered to pay a substantial $27 million settlement to the grieving family of a 13-year-old boy who died following a brutal bullying incident at his middle school.
The Moreno Valley Unified School District Board of Education made the decision by a narrow 3-2 vote last Tuesday, September 19, following a lengthy three-hour closed-door meeting.
Why was Martinrex Kedziora fired?
Kedziora was terminated less than a week after the board agreed to the significant settlement with the family of Diego Stolz, an eighth grader, who died after being assaulted by fellow classmates in 2019.
Diego's aunt and uncle, who were also his legal guardians, asserted that school officials were well aware of the bullying Diego endured but failed to take adequate preventive measures, even after reassuring the family that the issue would be resolved.
The grieving family maintained that the bullies involved were never properly suspended, ultimately allowing the fatal assault to occur at Landmark Middle School in September 2019.
What led to the tragic death of Diego Stolz?
Disturbing video footage captured the moment when Diego was viciously attacked by one of the teenagers, who sucker-punched him in the face.
Following the initial strike, the 13-year-old stepped back before another student struck him in the back of the head, causing the boy to fall and hit his head against a pillar. These blows resulted in traumatic brain injury, and Diego tragically died just nine days later.
Despite pleading guilty to manslaughter charges, the bullies received a relatively short 47-day sentence in juvenile hall. The incident sent shockwaves through the community, with concerned parents, like Yerenia Barrera, voicing their support for Kedziora's removal.
Barrera accused the superintendent of taking a hands-off approach to address bullying issues in the district, stating, "He's leaving everything to the teachers to do all the work and all the clean up, and all he does is just go to shows or presentations," as per New York Post.
She added that she had attempted to discuss her own child's bullying problem with him. In the wake of Kedziora's departure, the Landmark Middle School has also replaced its principal, Scott Walker, just six weeks after Diego's tragic death.
