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Mother of bullied teen speaks in Corpus Christi

Posted at 5:45 PM, Jun 13, 2018
and last updated 2018-06-13 18:45:40-04

This story discusses cyberbullying and suicide. If you or a loved one are suffering from thoughts of harming yourself, please know that there is free help available 24/7. Click here to view Coastal Bend and national resources.

CORPUS CHRISTI – The mother of a teen who committed suicide after being cyberbullied spoke at an education conference on Wednesday.

Maurine Molak, from San Antonio, is on a mission to change the culture that claimed the life of her 16-year-old son, David Molak.

David committed suicide in January 2016, after months of bullying. He was 16 years old.

His mother came to share her story with educators attending the Texas School Safety Conference.

"It was not an isolated issue and we had hundreds of parents and students reach out to us to tell us about their experiences with cyberbullying," said Molak.

She worked with state lawmakers to pass what’s known as David’s Law.

"It allows school districts to investigate cyberbullying incidents that occur off campus," Molak explained.

It created stiff penalties like fines and jail time for cyber bullies, but sadly, Molak said the problem hasn’t gone away.

"It’s increasing. The number of students who are either victimized or have experienced it whether they are the victim, the target, or the aggressor," Molak said.

Molak is now asking educators to join the fight against cyberbullying. She feels that requires training them to recognize the warning signs, then aggressively investigate.

"It’s going to take all of us parents, students, educators, and communities coming together to address this issue," Molak said.