LAUSD, the nation’s second-largest school district, has seen thousands of fights in recent years amid growing community concerns over bullying-related incidents and a lack of prevention.
asserted
LAUSD → see → prevention
Los Angeles Unified’s Franklin High School was rocked by tragedy this week after senior Xavier Nungarary died after jumping from the fourth floor of a school building after he was pummeled and insulted by a classmate.
asserted
he → rock → classmate
The teen had reportedly endured relentless bullying, according to his family.
uncertain
teen → endure → family
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asserted
Sign → sign → California
The district declined to provide current-year fight data to the California Post but offered condolences to Nungaray’s family.
asserted
district → decline → family
Los Angeles Unified is working closely with Franklin High School, providing support and resources to students and staff who may be impacted by this loss,” the district said.
uncertain
district → work → loss
“Meanwhile, the circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department.”
asserted
circumstances → surround → Department
LAUSD insiders told The California Post that Franklin High School has a particularly acute bullying problem.
asserted
School → tell → problem
Former LAUSD board member David Tokofsky, who led the district that includes Franklin for a dozen years, said violence has always been a problem at Franklin.
asserted
violence → lead → Franklin
“That’s because the Avenues gang is one of the most notorious gangs in the city,” he said, and Franklin is on their turf.
asserted
Franklin → ’ → turf
Tokofsky said the fact that LAUSD has reduced police presence on campuses leaves the district responsible for incidents such as the bullying that allegedly preceded Nungarary’s death.
uncertain
that → say → death
LAUSD previously voted to slash millions from the Los Angeles School Police Department’s budget in 2021, eliminating more than 130 positions.
asserted
LAUSD → vote → positions
LAUSD student survey data also shows reported bullying at its highest level since 2021-22, with 17% of students saying they were bullied.
asserted
they → show → students
Reports of physical bullying — including shoving, hitting and kicking — surged from 6% in 2024-25 to 15% in 2025-26.
asserted
Reports → include → 2025
The survey is issued every spring to all LAUSD schools and includes feedback from students, parents, staff, and teachers.
asserted
survey → issue → students
LAUSD’s student experience survey also showed data from Franklin High School.
asserted
survey → show → School
Just 8% of seniors at the school reported bullying, and 5% said it was physical.
asserted
it → report → bullying
Nungaray, 17, jumped to his death after a classmate verbally and physically assaulted him.
asserted
classmate → jump → him
His stepmom told CBS LA that other students bullied Nungaray throughout high school and he was “hesitant to speak up.”
asserted
he → tell → school
“He was scared that he was gonna end up getting punished instead of the bullies,” she said.
asserted
she → scar → bullies
The fallout from the incident will present a test for new LAUSD Superintendent Andrés Chiat, who took over for former boss Alberto Carvalho after Carvalho left amid a splashy federal investigation, said former LAUSD board member Tokofsky.
asserted
Tokofsky → present → investigation
“We’ll see if he has any leadership skills,” said the former LAUSD board member.
asserted
member → see → skills
“If he dances away from that issue, he’s just avoiding a dust-up with Black Lives Matter, the board members and the teachers’ union.”
asserted
he → dance → Matter
The school district drew more controversy earlier this year following the death of a 12-year-old girl after she was allegedly struck in the head with a metal water bottle while attempting to defend her older sister from bullies in a school hallway.
uncertain
she → draw → hallway
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After a police investigation into the fight, cops arrested a Reseda student on suspicion of murder in April.
asserted
cops → download → April
But the next month, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner classified Zavaleta’s death as “natural” because she had a congenital blood vessel condition that caused her death.
asserted
that → classify → death
After the medical examiner’s natural-cause ruling, prosecutors are reviewing the viability of the criminal case.
asserted
prosecutors → review → case
Zavaleta’s family has strongly disputed the medical examiner’s conclusion, saying she had no prior symptoms before being struck in the head.
asserted
she → dispute → head
The family has filed a wrongful-death and negligence claim against LAUSD.
uncertain
family → file → LAUSD
Anti-bullying advocates have called for an investigation into any bullying Nungaray endured at Franklin High School before his death.
asserted
Nungaray → call → death
The Uvalde Foundation for Kids, founded after the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, is pushing for an extensive examination of the circumstances to reveal any missteps.
asserted
Foundation → found → missteps
“This is not about deciding what happened before the facts are known,” said Daniel Chapin, founder and president of the Youth Peace & Justice Foundation.
asserted
Chapin → decide → Foundation
“It is about making sure the questions are actually asked and answered.”
asserted
asked → make → ?
“When a family says their child was being bullied, and a student says she witnessed him being physically attacked immediately before his death, those statements deserve a serious, independent examination.
asserted
statements → say → examination
The family should not have to investigate this themselves,” he added.
asserted
he → have → this
The Aporia
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