A nine-year-old’s goodbye echoed through a memorial service in January as she told her older sister she loved her. “Fly high my angel,” she said.
Lexi Blackwood was 12 years old when she took her own life.
Her father, Ryan Marshall, says Lexi was once confident and outgoing, but that began to change when she entered middle school.
“She was so confident until she started facing harassment and bullying on a daily basis,” Marshall said. “It basically chipped away her confidence until it was very well zero, and here we are today.”
According to her family, Lexi confided in her parents last October about ongoing verbal harassment, including comments targeting her appearance. Marshall says the bullying often came from students Lexi didn’t even know.
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“No one she knew in her classroom,” he said. “She didn’t even know these people constantly putting her down, calling her names.”
The family said they contacted the school for help but were instead referred to a youth counselling centre. They question why the focus was placed on Lexi’s mental health rather than addressing the alleged bullying.
In a statement, Central Okanagan Public Schools extended its sympathy to the family as they cope with what it called an “unimaginable loss.” The district said it cannot comment on the specifics of the case and that it follows a provincial safety education framework.
Marshall says the family felt Lexi’s experience was not taken seriously enough.
Her grandfather, Dwight Blackwood, says some steps were taken, but they didn’t address the root of the problem.
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“They had a monitor in the hall for a few days,” he said. “But our little Lexi wasn’t even in the hallway anyway, they let her out five minutes early so she could avoid the crowds.”
Marshall says the situation became so severe that Lexi missed two weeks of school. When she returned, he says communication from the school was minimal.
Now, the family is calling for systemic change, including more proactive mental health resources and regular wellness checks, rather than relying on students to reach out on their own.
“We’re hoping for change in the school board,” Marshall said. “More direct resources. Not just two or three options that are completely reliant on the student to reach out themselves.”
For the family, sharing Lexi’s story is about preventing another loss.
“If we can stop one other family from going through this,” Marshall said, “that’s our goal.”
lol, just look at the comments here! Especially the brain exempt person who said “we’ve become weak”… yeah people like him are why our world sucks right now.
We now live in a society that puts bullies on a pedestal. This is a deep issue, and a sad one. Just go to any comment section and read… people are awful.
The school’s need to find out who the bullies are, and suspend them from the schools and do not allow them back until they get mandatory treatment! Why do the victims have to move, or stay home? So rediculous, or how about we start a school just for bullies, and they can pick on each other! 😊
The school’s do not even attempt to tartget the real problem. The bully.
How about bringing back and making it normal that a child can defend themselves against bullying
2026 is just full of weak minded people, hell i was bullied, I was picked on. I suffered lot of problems at home, but im still here.
The human race is becoming ooze, weak..
This is such a sad story God bless that sweetheart
Schools in US should adopt the Roots of Empathy in all elementary and middle schools. As a retired mental health worker for over 24 years, it is the school progtam that really eradicated 80%of bullying and taught kids the importance of empathy, boundaries. Inclusion, team play and in general you will see a kinder more loving school if you stay the course. Youth workers are the trained facilitators and it really does work.
Its sad. I have 5 childrens and going through same with 3 of them in Ontario. School wont do anything and when i called the ontario chool board there answer was change school. But changing my skid school wont stop those kids bullying other kids. Worst solution simple could be fix within few months in every school. They just dontwant to fix it and they wont!
Once again….the victim is targeted. Until the professionals address the perps with consequences will anything change!!
This is shocking. No action by the school. Just stand by and watch the classroom learning deteriorate. It’s sad that government has created an environment where teachers and senior educators are restricted with their involvement.
My condolences . May God give the strength that you need. My son was also bullying and nothing was done. I was told he was lying and nothing was happing. I pray that school boards change so no child can go through this again
Nothing happened to the bullies?
No repercussions?
Bullying should be a crime with minimum jail time. And for minors parents also as it usually starts at home
We had the same situation with our daughter. School wouldn’t do anything and we had to pull her out of school.
I know not enough is done about bullying in our schools. I believe bullies should be taken out of school and given mental health therapy. It is a common problem in every school. Must be seriously addressed.
My heart breaks for this family. I’m sorry the world failed your loved one and your family
Someone that can be proven to be a bully should suspended for increasing duration and if after 3 repeats, the lesson still escapes, expulsion is the answer.
The Bully Should have been Expelled, but seemingly the Bully parents is Israeli dual citizens?
As someone still deeply impacted by bullying that happened decades ago in middle school, this is so heartbreaking to read, yet again about it happening, yet again, to another poor little kid. I don’t understand how these kids keep ending up in these tortuous situations. How many suicides is it going to take? The other children need to be taught not to behave in this way, no tolerance for this happening to a child. I thought we were at the no tolerance level by now. There should be a culture of empathy and inclusion at school. Have assemblies on this topic. There could be groups formed of peers who actively try to connect with the bullied child. Ostracism and verbal bullying was the worst type of bullying to experience and can just destroy someone at that stage of their life, when peer acceptance is a developmental goal that we are wired for on a biological level. This needs to be taken more seriously, school-wide, not individually, and proactively. School is about preparing kids for life and cruelty from children doesn’t have to be conceptualized as human nature. It can be changed! I’m happy to see this at least being recognized as a mental health issue, which is way more than what existed when I went through it. But it appears the onus is still being put on the individual child to deal with it rather than the bullying being corrected and empathy being spread. Break up the mob mentality and make sure the child has peer support and doesn’t feel like a total outcast.
Needed a big brother to lay down some whoop ass. Or taught to punch punch kick. Bullies are pussies one bloody nose solves the problem
My prayers go out to the family. This story speaks to the need of more social worker school support, educator training on suicide risk assessment, and harsher penalties for those who bully. Singling out this child and making her get “mental health support” is very pragmatic as it reinforced the untrue beliefs that there was something wrong with her internally. Individual psychotherapy was the wrong solution for the victim, we need a ideology shift that treats the bully and reprihends the environment both in school and at home that has a duty to keep the child safe.
Take your kids out of school and do home schooling instead, where they will be safe and more concentrated into their academic. Schools are already been politicized and toxic! Not worth it! But to each their own.
Sounds like several law suits might be coming …
Also Canada’s anti-bullying laws should be used to place those that bullied her on account!
Schools have to be held accountable. I cannot understand why bullying isnt addressed when it so damages our young people. How many more have to die at their own hand before schools own up to this harassment? So so sad my heart hurts for this girl and others who came before her.
My heart goes out to this beautiful family and their little angel, Lexi. My girl is 14 and in high school. She spent two years out of school because of bullying and i’m sorry, that’s what we had to do, we certainly received a lot of criticism child services.
I worked in schools as an education assistant. I know firsthand about bullying from my own experience in high school. I believe this is a bigger deal than many want to talk about. As an adult, I am now in school learning things about healthy human interactions, healthy communication and boundaries. Why am I learning this at 45? Why was the biggest bully I met, when I worked in school, a teacher? When the teachers treat the students poorly, the students treat each other poorly.
This is an “everybody” issue. I feel this is a country emergency that needs immediate attention.
If it was up to me I would implement into the curriculum classes solely about healthy communication, respect, healthy boundaries and grounding exercises, not only into the education of the students, but the teachers as well. I think the teachers need to be retrained and assessed for mental health themselves, especially the kind we don’t see easily, like sociopathy and narcissism. They don’t need to be weaned out, they need to be reeducated, and there needs to be a much easier path to report these things. If you think reporting your bully is hard, imagine if it’s your teacher. I witnessed a child trying to do this on his own without only the support of a quiet, people pleasing, (now guilt and regret consumed) EA, when the principal was best friends with the teacher. Crickets chirping was the reaction.
Counseling rooms should be taken more seriously. There should be many counselors available, and the counseling room should be a comfortable and safe place for the children to WANT to enter, at any time, without stigma. Whatever it takes to make this happen could save many lives. I don’t think there’s any price too big for the wellbeing and health of our children.
Being extremely empathic, I can feel the pain of these parents right now. I will never forget what you’ve been through and I will focus on solutions for the rest of my life. My instant instinct upon crying over this story, was to change my entire life goal to my secondary one. and become a school counselor. But I need to stay focused, as my first goal is at least as powerful for helping in grand scale.
Please know that your message will never be lost. I will carry it with me for the rest of my life. I.am SO sorry for your loss. It was wrong, it was unfair, it was poorly managed and changes need to happen. I will not rest until they do.
I’m sorry Lexi. I hate how much I know how you felt. I’m so sorry you couldn’t get to where I am today. Everything I do now is for people like me and you. I promise to make things better for the world you left. I love you.
We put more effort into special groups than regular Canadians, why?
Political correctness is killing our children. Unacceptable
I lost my daughter to bullying 11 months ago ….. she was only 11 …. the world is broken
Years of bullying and I was sent to counselling to deal with my anger for it. The schoolboard, the parents, the teachers, the police, all wanted nothing to do with it.
The bullying escalated and got quite violent. One of the incidences involved an attack with a knife and I managed to control the situation (it did require force). Then I took that situation and the, gossip around it, and settled a few lingering disputes with some of the other guys involved.
The bullying only ended when the bullies decided that the risks outweighed their fun.
It’s an unpopular opinion these days, but stand up for your kids, and let them know it’s okay to stand up for themselves.
No parent should lose their child because our society would rather look away than get involved. The line between pacifism and indifference is irrelevant when we let this happen.
Sadly the schools today do nothing about bullying, it’s always the person that is bullying that is to blame, so sorry you had to lose your beautiful daughter over uncaring school system
Parents need guns and go talk to other parents. Forget the school. Go straight to the source and deal with it.
I feel for this family.. I personally was a victim to bullying and harassment in school.. written/verbal threats, countless fights.. all the school did was detention,suspension… all that did was make things worse..
Maybe a councilor to tell you to find a way to deal with it.. ignore it.. its a phase.. Yeah… because we all know that helps.. Kids want to see action not hear words..
The answer is exactly what the parents stated, why isn’t the aggressors being guided or mentored properly.. sure its more in the home so might argue.. but when students have a teacher or someone to look up to that they respect they copy their traits..
I can relate to this story as I myself was terribly bullied in grade school up until Junior high, and this occurred in the Okanagan from 1976 to 1984. Nobody did anything about it until after two failed suicide attempts and then I lost complete control of myself and ended up beating up a bully very badly, as I was completely out of my mind by that point. This has been going on for so long and it has to stop!
Kelowna? Shocker. Sorry to hear about this nonsense. My heart goes out to you <3
What a beautiful child. Condolences to her family.
How utterly, terribly sad. Lexi’s short life was forsaken by vicious, heart-less individuals and a system that ultimately failed her. Deepest condolences.
How awful, no child should be bullied like that. Children can be BULLIES …. it’s Time that Schools started expelling Bullies.
I’m so so sorry for your loss! It breaks my heart when I child believes this is the only way out. The school failed her. Sue the school and charge the bullies for man slaughter!
This is the kind of stuff that triggers people to shoot up a school.
They should. Set. Up. home school for the bullies . One student can damage lots of teens . Don’t let the bully in the building
The school board, the school, the principal, the school counsellor and the parents of each kid who bullied her should all be sued into the strasosphere for this shocking dereliction of duty across the board. That poor girl!
My sincerest condolences. As a mother of a 14-yr-old daughter, I can empathize in regards to how harsh an cruel kids can be. I can’t understand WHY! The kids who harassed your daughter, as well as the school, should most certainly be held accountable! Sadly, it will not bring her back but it might force change and save other kids. Also, the bullies are the ones who need to seek counseling. There’s something very wrong when a person feels the need to constantly harass someone they don’t even know. You’re daughter is beautiful and my heart is completely broken for your family’s loss.
Sue the families of the bullies along with the school. Hold them all accountable for this tragedy.
I hope they successfully sue the school.
Lexi was such a beautiful girl! The stupid bullies were just jealous of her! Someone needs to get sued here!
My condolences and may she rest in peace! The bullies should get charged if found and put in jail for life! 😡
Unbelieveable breaks my heart to hear something so tragic about someone so innocent. What a world we live in.
Sue the teacher and the principle for their licenses to ensure they never teach again as they failed to meet their requirements for keeping kids safe. Also add on Doug Ford and he’s government for failing to address the increase in school bullying and violence.
I’m so sorry for your loss. She was a beautiful girl and the people who did this should be held accountable. Our lawmakers need to save these poor kids.
Many Schools have opted out of protecting students. These bullies should be charged and removed from the system for life.
These students that bullied your daughter should be charged and I agree more should of been done for this poor girl she was so beautiful and they were probably jealous of her I hope you get justice for your daughter and something gets done for her so sad
She was a beautiful young girl so sorry
This is so sad bullying should not happen but it does really sad sending condolences and prayers your way sorry for your loss that should not of happen bullying is so wrong
There should be ZERO tolerance for bullying!
I can’t understand why and what was wrong with her looks? Am I missing something? Regardless bullying is unacceptable.
I am so sorry for their loss!!! She is such a “beautiful girl!” My prayers go out to the family!!! 🙏,
Judging people by their appearance is the last socially acceptable prejudice. I bet the kids who tormented her to death would be appalled at the thought of judging someone for their skin color.
Children can be so cruel, and you can thank their parents for that learned behavior.
Very very wrong.
She’s so pretty I hate bullies
So sorry for your loss! Sad and heartbreaking.
This still shouldn’t be happening in the 20th century. Rip ⚘️🙏
The school AND the parents of the bully should be held accountable….
The problem with schools, or the world in general, is that NO ONE likes to confront the bully and so the bully gets away with the bullied committing suicide.
I’m so sorry for your loss I wish I could have reached her I to suffered bullying relentlessly in BC, 1970s and I survived I’m ok now at aged: 58. The girl Dawn Rydeen Jett if anyone knows this woman stay away from her. Very dangerous family the Rydeens and the school system Royal heights did nothing to protect me either. I was just like I had a strong family. Now at 58 I’m just fine but don’t count on the schools for help they don’t care sadly.😓
I wanted to add a further comment that the school be made accountable and the parents of those bullies should be made aware the damage their children caused this family. Only then, will her family get some kind of recognition for the damage that those bullies caused. The death of their beautiful daughter, and she was a beautiful looking young lady should never be shuffled under the carpet or taken lightly.
She was a beautiful look young lady. Kids that bully other kids have no idea the harm they cause. My condolences 🙏 and my heart truly go out to her parents and family at this time. As for the bullies they really won’t grasp the damage they caused until they are grown adults with kids of their own. What on earth do you get out of being cruel to someone.
I’m so sorry about the tragedy your family is going thru as my family is going thru same thing my niece took her own life last week in Winnipeg Manitoba she was only 11 years old and today I found out after talking with my granddaughter about what happen to her cousin she finally told me she’s been getting bullied her mom went to school a few times this year talked with school staff but nothing is happening
I don’t understand in this present day why more isn’t done to protect the victims. Why is it up to the victim to reach out? Why is the school or a social worker not helping the family, or the police should intervene! What is being done to punish the bullies and what about those parents? What are they doing? Such a beautiful young girl who’s life was too short. What is wrong with these kids that bully someone on their appearance? Did anyone witness this and not want to help? There are too many situations of bullying that need to stop.
No empathy if they said it is unimaginable. How can they be teaching if they haven’t learned empathy for others. Digital abuse is a crime against humanity. It needs to stop.
Shame to the parents of the bullies
Shame to the school.
When you protect ones who hurt others I believe you should be held accountable for the actions.
To the parents of who have lost a huge part of their lives words can’t describe the pain and suffering that your going through God bless and peace be with you
Public schools are a dismal failure on every level. The safest place for kids to be is homeschool.
The fact that the lack of action by school staff remains an issue spanning decades is a massive failure. Sure, the root of the problem lies in the bullies’ guardians’, but that shouldn’t excuse the inadequate action taken at school.
Was bullied at my school until I took things in my own hands and through the bully head first on the floor knocking him out,day after almost passed his friend through a window that was the end of the bulling.
As a parent I’d be taken matters into my own hands and confront the bullies at their home with their parents. No place should be safe for bullies.
Time for parents to take these bullying incidents into their own hands, as the schools do nothing. My heart breaks for this family.
So sorry to read this and sincere condolences to your family. Heartbreaking for a dad with similar aged children. The schools need to do a better job dealing with the bullies and the bullies parents should be informed / forced to act / be held accountable. This is unacceptable from a society perspective and the bullying happens much too often.
My deepest condolences to you and the family. I agree that schools don’t do enough to address the bullying especially under the radar bullying. Such a shame. Schools and school boards need to do better.
My heart hurts for the family. I do not understand why this happens.BULLIES must be outed .
My deepest condolences to the family. The bullying should have been halted at the outset.
Discipline in the schools needs to be brought back. I am not talking about the strap, but there needs to be severe consequences for this type of behaviour.
The school is and should b responsible
Please sue the school and investigate the people responsible and make them pay!!!
Sue the District for not doing anything
The School should be closed permanently so Parents and Bullies alike, realize it is a Community effort
to prevent Bullying at school or in your neighborhoods. Everyone suffers the consequence for bullying
children at school. Everyone shall be assigned a different school as a consequence of bullying…. which will show you the impact bullying has on you and your community as a whole, for bullying a 12 year old – who took her own life, as a way to avoid the drama created by others at school, which is preventable.
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