Three hockey players in Florida are under investigation and suspension for their alleged involvement in the suicide of a fellow player.
McKenna Brown, 16, took her life in August after being cyberbullied by the other members of her hockey team in Tampa, according to her parents Cheryl and Hunter. The Browns appeared in a Dr. Phil episode on Tuesday to share the details surrounding their daughter’s bullying, which they only became aware of once teammates came forward about the toxic behavior after Brown’s funeral service on Aug. 13.
Brown’s parents subsequently discovered several bullying messages from her teammates over the course of five days. These players even shared information regarding an alleged rape Brown had experienced years before.
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The Florida Alliance League made a statement a month following Brown’s death that discusses a recent engagement with professional hockey player Madison Packer, who had a history of attempting suicide. Packer spoke to the team about bullying prevention during her engagement. While the team has since won the National Girls Hockey League 12U AAA Championship without Brown as goalie, it has yet to make a public statement about the three teammates who have since been suspended from the league. There were four players total involved, according to the Brown’s.
There are no players listed under the Lightning High School Hockey League suspension list. The league did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment. It, along with Statewide Amateur Hockey of Florida and USA Hockey is investigation the incident according to Brown’s parents.
Florida state law does not have a statute on cyberbullying, but its Department of Education does prohibit “bullying through the use of technology or any electronic communication.” Should these players be discovered to have cyberbullied Brown, they will likely only see ramifications from their schools rather than criminal charges.
“She was human, with all of our short coming and strengths, there is no denying her ability to make anyone feel at home,” the Alliance team wrote of Brown. “We have watched her time and time again console her teammates, she had no boundaries consoling her competitors. She cared for everyone before herself.”
A Facebook page dedicated to Brown’s memory has over 1,700 followers. Over 1,000 people including 100 firemen attended Brown’s funeral service according to her mother.
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Brown is survived by her parents, brother, and sister.
