The parents of a 13-year-old Brainerd girl say their daughter repeatedly spoke up about being bullied before she died by suicide on Friday, and they believe the system meant to protect her failed to act in time.
The family has identified the girl as Alexis. Her parents, Chantel Smith and Brent Willis, say she told friends, relatives and school staff that a group of boys taunted her about her appearance, including her skin tone and nose. They describe the comments as racially tinged and say the school never notified them about the incidents.
Smith and Willis told reporters that while Alexis spoke up, the district has no record of a formal bullying report tied to her case. State records show bullying and harassment reports in Brainerd Public Schools rose from three in the 2017–18 school year to 25 in 2023–24, and a GoFundMe has been set up to support the family, as reported by KSTP.
Brainerd Public Schools Superintendent Chip Rankin, who started in the role on July 1, said the district activated a crisis response team after Alexis’s death and brought 32 regional mental health professionals to Forestview Middle School to support students and families. Rankin told KSTP that the district has no record of an official bullying complaint involving Alexis and said that online behavior can make harassment harder to see, noting, “Kids never get to turn it off.”
He said the district will review staff training, work to streamline how bullying is reported, and add counselors, even as budgets are tight.
State Reporting and the Broader Mental Health Picture
The increase in reported bullying incidents in Brainerd comes as youth mental health remains a serious concern nationwide. Emergency department visits and suicide-related behaviors among adolescents rose during the pandemic and remain elevated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Across Minnesota, districts use the state’s Disciplinary Incident Reporting System (DIRS) to log bullying, suspensions and expulsions. The Minnesota Department of Education provides DIRS guidance and technical resources to help schools track incidents and train staff on how to respond.
What Families and Schools Say Needs to Happen Next
Smith and Willis are urging other parents to check in closely with their children and to press schools for clearer reporting processes and stronger follow-through when kids say they are being bullied.
District leaders say they plan to contact families directly, expand bullying-prevention programs and examine gaps in staff training ahead of the new school year.
Community members have left flowers and handwritten notes at a memorial outside the family’s home. Anyone in crisis is urged to contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or local Minnesota crisis services.
