“We are going to be Izzy’s voice, we are going to ring this bell as loud as we can because we are going to stop this bullying. That little girl had spark, that little girl had hopes and dreams,” Paula Harris, Izzy’s grandmother told KUTV.

Cox publicly claims in 2021, Tichenor a student at Foxboro Elementary School in North Salt Lake City, Utah was teased constantly by her classroom peers and her teacher.

According to the lawsuit, Foxboro Elementary School in North Salt Lake City, its director, and its principal have all been named as defendants.

“Izzy was bullied, abused, harassed, and excluded from activities because she was female, learning disabled, poor, homeless, and black,” it reads.

It also alleged that the teacher made statements about Izzy’s hygiene and odor in front of other students leaving room for other students to bully her.

“As a result of this unchecked bullying and the school’s overall deliberate indifference to minority students, Izzy failed nearly all her classes. At the time of her death, she could barely read or do math on a first-grade level,” the claim said.

The school allegedly violated state and federal laws requiring the institution to ensure equal treatment, provide educational opportunities, and protect students experiencing homelessness.

Tichenor died on Nov. 6, 2021, Cox said she saw no indication or warning that her daughter was contemplating taking her own life.

“I didn’t know she thought like that, I was so involved with her at school,” Cox said. “You don’t know what a child is going through mentally.”

The school district released a statement to KUTV stating there is an investigation being done surrounding the teacher and students involved.

“We, like everyone, are devastated by the death of this child. Our hearts go out to the family. Foxboro Elementary has worked extensively with the family and will continue to provide help to them and others impacted by this tragedy. We take all incidents and reports of bullying seriously. At this point, the incident we are aware of involved another student. The teacher and administration responded quickly and appropriately. As with all allegations of bullying, our investigation will continue.”

Cox shared she reported the bullying and was met with empty promises.

“As any parent would, we reported this abuse to her teachers, the school administration, and the district administration,” Cox said to KUTV. “Nothing. Nothing was done to protect Izzy. Children did not have their behavior corrected so the torment of this child continued day after day.”

The defendants have 60 days to respond before the family can file a lawsuit.