”Can I please stay home from school?”

The couple says they reported the bullying to school administrators, who assured them the situation was being addressed. But Autumn’s parents now believe those efforts weren’t enough.

Summer Bushman, Autumn’s mother, said she had previously spoken to her older children, ages 12 and 17, about suicide awareness. But she never imagined needing to have that same conversation with her 10-year-old daughter.

“A few weeks ago, she came to me crying and she was really upset,” Summer recalled. “And she said, you know, ‘Mom, I’m just, I’m really stressed out. I’m being bullied. Can I please stay home from school tomorrow?’”

For Autumn, the stress had become too much. Her father, Mark, expressed frustration and heartbreak over not being able to protect his daughter during school hours.

“I can’t be at school. And I can’t referee. And I think that’s the issue,” he said. “We’re entrusting the schools with our kids for several hours a day, and how close of tabs the school’s keeping on them is my concern. Are they really talking it out with the girls and taking action if something needs to be corrected?”

On March 21, 10-year-old Autumn Bushman was tragically found in her bedroom after taking her own life.

Her death devastated her family and rocked the Roanoke community. As messages of support poured in, the local school district said it’s launching a full review into the events that led to the tragedy.

“While we cannot discuss the specifics of this situation due to federal privacy laws and out of respect for the family, we are conducting a thorough review. Our schools take all reports of bullying and conflicts among students very seriously”, the school said in a statement.