The grieving family of 12-year-old Khimberly Zavaleta Chuquipa has filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), alleging the district failed to protect the young girl from ongoing bullying that ultimately led to her tragic death.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, claims school officials ignored repeated warnings about bullying on campus and allowed a dangerous environment to persist, an alleged failure the family says cost their daughter her life.
According to the family and their attorney, Khimberly stepped in to defend her older sister during a bullying incident at Reseda Charter High School in Los Angeles on February 17, NBC Los Angeles reported.
During the confrontation, another student allegedly threw a metal water bottle, striking the 12-year-old in the head. The blow caused severe brain trauma.
Khimberly was hospitalized and later placed in a medically induced coma after doctors discovered a brain bleed. Despite emergency surgery and days of treatment, the young girl died on February 25 at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital.
Her death has since been investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department as a homicide.
The lawsuit alleges that Khimberly’s sister had been repeatedly targeted by bullies prior to the fatal incident—and that the school did little to intervene.
NBC Los Angeles reported:
The Zavaleta family said, despite repeated attempts to get more information on what led to the deadly attack, the LAUSD refused to share details.
The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed last month that a homicide investigation was underway following Khimberly’s death. The LAPD did not respond to NBC Los Angeles’ inquiry about whether a suspect was identified.
While seeking justice for the 12-year-old, the family is calling on the district to enforce stronger anti-bullying policy.
“School administrators cannot let giant fights just erupt in the middle of the campus and not do anything about it,” the family attorney said. “That is totally inexcusable and that is unfortunately what happened in this case.”
Glassman alleged the same group of kids who attacked the Zavaleta sisters had also bullied and hurt another child prior to the Feb. 17 attack.
There’s also a social media video of a bullying incident circulating online with the caption “Happy Tuesday,” which prompted the family’s legal team to examine whether bullying was a common occurrence at Reseda High School.
Family friends have launched a GoFundMe campaign to help support the grieving family.
WATCH:
JUST IN: The family of 12-year-old Khimberly Zavaleta Chuquipa, who died after allegedly being bullied at school, has launched a lawsuit against the L.A. Unified School District in California.
Khimberly sadly passed away after she stood up to students who were bullying her… pic.twitter.com/axYqGesub4
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 12, 2026
The post Family of 12-Year-Old Girl Who Died After Relentless School Bullying Files Lawsuit Against L.A. Unified School District appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.