ANN ARBOR, Mich. (WXYZ) — Students and parents in the Ann Arbor Public Schools district are calling for more regulation and mental health resources following the death of a Pioneer High School student on campus.
Fifteen-year-old Adriana Davidson was found dead on school grounds under the bleachers Monday afternoon after going missing three days earlier on Friday.
Sophomore at Pioneer High School Hadden Vandorn-Greer told 7 Action News; "She did seem very distant but she was very sweet, very kind."
She also said Adriana seemed sad a lot. "I saw her sleeping a lot, I don’t think there was a whole week I saw her without sleeping at least one day out of the school week."
With all of these signs and so many days that Adriana was missing Hadden and other classmates are asking why more wasn't done.
"When she was announced missing in my first-hour class, all we got from our teacher was a simple, 'Hey, this is what happened, we’re here if you need anything.’ No explanation, no reassurance that we’re safe."
It's because of these frustrations that Hadden and more than 8,000 others have signed this change.org petition called "Justice for Addy."
The petition criticizes the way Ann Arbor Public Schools handled Adriana's situation saying, "students are still able to freely roam the school and leave whenever they would like without reason."
"Yes, in my experience it’s quite common for students to just skip class at random times and come back when they please," confirmed Hadden.
The petition also criticizes the lack of "mental-health resources for students."
A critique expressed Thursday morning at a school walkout at Pioneer High where about 100 students walked out of class, some holding signs reading that same message, "Justice for Addy."
"A lot of students were confused why it took them supposedly 3 days to find the body," said Hadden.
Ann Arbor Police are handling Adriana's death investigation, when 7 Action News asked for an update for students' questions they referred us to this days old statement on their Facebook.
The Ann Arbor Schools superintendent also issued a statement:
We are all deeply saddened by the loss of Adriana “Addy” Davidson. Our sincere and heartfelt condolences go out to Addy’s family, friends and the Pioneer staff and community.Last night a vigil was held at Pioneer High School for family, friends and the Pioneer community.Today a group of students staged a short walkout at the school supported by the Pioneer administration.Ann Arbor Public Schools fully respects and supports the first amendment rights of students and understands the desire many students have to raise their voices and express their thoughts. The Pioneer team supported our students in sharing their thoughts in a respectful and peaceful way, without any disruption or interference with the orderly conduct of learning or school activities, per district policy.We understand that with so many questions, students, staff and community members will continue to share concerns.We will continue to vigorously support the ongoing law enforcement investigation, now being conducted by the Ann Arbor Police Department. Much of this work, out of respect for the privacy of this family, is not public at this time.The concerns raised about social and emotional health are concerns we all share and continue to have as a priority. As everyone is aware, mental health needs are an ongoing concern throughout our communities, and additional support is needed.
"I don’t necessarily hate the way Pioneer handles mental health, nor do i think it’s horrible, but there is definitely room for improvement and those improvements should be made," said Hadden.
A GoFundMe has been launched for Adriana's memorial funds and ongoing support. Click here to view it.
