WATERBORO, Maine —
For Liza Travis, looking at her daughter, Kyah Travis, was like looking in the mirror.
When Liza would show people photos, they would often confuse the two of them. Now, photos are all Liza has.
Kyah took her own life on April 9 at just 16 years old. Barely a week after her death, it would make sense for Liza to want time to process her grief before talking about it.
Yet, Kyah's mother felt a sense of urgency to share her story because since Kyah's death, she has been saddled with another struggle: what happened to her daughter at school before she died.
"I probably, once every couple hours, had friends of Kyah's reaching out about the bullying and stuff," Liza said.
Kyah was a sophomore at Massabesic High School and her mother says she doesn't remember a time when her daughter wasn't a victim of bullying there. Close friends of Kyah and other moms at the school immediately made contact with Liza, not just to pay their condolences, but also to acknowledge what Kyah had gone through.
Liza says she's heard detailed accounts of Kyah being tormented by other students both at the school and online, including a boy telling Kyah to kill herself multiple times. According to Liza, the school was aware of many of these problems.
"Kyah had friends go with her to report the bullying. She tried to report her own bullies by herself and she was just always told they were busy and that something would be done, but nothing was ever done," Liza said.
Liza says they had even gone above staff at the school, to RSU 57 Superintendent Stephen Marquis directly, but it didn't matter how high up they took the claims. Liza says Superintendent Marquis told Kyah and her friend, "You're not being bullied, they're just not being nice to you. There's a difference." Marquis did not acknowledge that statement when NEWS CENTER Maine brought it to his attention.
Superintendent Marquis did say Kyah is the second unexpected passing of a Massabesic High School student that he has seen in his three years at RSU 57. After Kyah's death, Marquis sent out a public letter to the RSU 57 community. He told us the district "remains dedicated to promoting mental health awareness and providing resources for those in need." Liza called the letter a "a cop out and an excuse."
Marquis did not answer any questions about Kyah's experience at the school or the events leading up to her death. He said he could not discuss specific cases or individuals due to privacy considerations. However, Kyah's mom says she doesn't want privacy, she wants action.
Shortly after her daughter's death, Liza and a friend started a Facebook page for people to share their experiences of bullying at Massabesic. Within days, she says more than 100 people have joined the page to say they have also been bullied, or had children bullied at the school without repercussions.
Superintendent Marquis said the claims inaccurately suggested the school may have failed its responsibilities in following up with reports of bullying. Marquis says the district has implemented a "comprehensive approach" to address bullying, which includes expanding support services, adding a "culture and accountability" coach and establishing clear policies against bullying and harassment.
However, Liza, as well as many people on the Facebook page, say the school's response is not enough.
One of those people is Lauri Matos, mother to a 14-year-old student at Massabesic High School. Although school is a place for children to learn and grow, she compared it to a place that is anything but. "Stuff happens at that school and it's basically like Las Vegas. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas."
Matos says her daughter deals with relentless bullying everyday, which has been repeatedly reported to the school. "It's like okay, come in, we're going to do the same thing and then we're going to send you back out and nothing changes," Matos said.
Matos isn't just upset about how the administration has handled her daughter's bullying claims, but also about Superintendent Marquis' response to these recent allegations.
"I think he's being politically correct to cover their butts, basically. He has no clue and if he does, shame on him," Matos said. She believes the school is failing to recognize a glaring issue and it could have dire consequences.
"If you can't admit there's a problem, this is what we're going to keep getting, we're going to keep getting our kids killing themselves. I don't want mine being next."
From one mother to another, Liza says she will not stop speaking out, both in her daughter's memory and to protect other children from the same fate.
"This is an epidemic, kids ending their lives, kids even younger than Kyah and something needs to be said about it. I just want to come here and be the voice for them and for my daughter and say it is not okay. None of this is okay," Liza said.
There will be a celebration of life for Kyah on Thursday. Liza and her mother are asking for the public not to attend unless they are directly invited.