Cyber bullying: The story of little Aliyah's death

(WJBK) - She was only 9 years old, when she did the unthinkable she took her own life.

The reason?

Her parents say it's because she was being bullied at school and online. But her death isn't lost upon lawmakers who have been working to make Michigan one of 39 states to legislate against online bullying.

"She was just full of life and that's who she was. And then she started dwindling," said her father, Charles Weatherspoon.

She was dwindling emotionally until the New Year. The last two months have been devastating for the family of Aliyah Weatherspoon. She took her own life at the age of 9 after being bullied at school and online.

The Cooley Elementary School student was always outgoing, social and sweet. 

"I lost my brother four years ago and I that thought that was pain but this pain is 10 times worse. When you lose one of your own. Especially the way we lost her and why we lost her. We lost her due to her looking different than other people," Charles said.

Her look -a beautiful young girl, but at school, Charles says he thinks people were making fun of her hair.

"She was coming home complaining about her hair, saying that she wanted to get her hair straightened out and she didn't want to wear it in braids anymore. Just complaining. There were times I would pick her up from school and she would have this blank stare in her eyes and I would ask her honey are you OK?" he said.

The school district released a statement to FOX 2, saying in part:

"Our Waterford school community is deeply saddened by the death of one of our students. At no time were any bullying allegations brought forth to the Cooley principal and/or staff by the student's parents, the student, or anyone witnessing incidents of bullying."

But it wasn't just at school, it was online. Playing games like Road Blocks, an online platform where kids can communicate with other kids. They bullied her there too. 

"We noticed she was on there and she was messaging some little boy back-and-forth. And they were saying mean things to her, calling her out on her name and just mean things, stuff about her," Charles said.

In class, and then at home on her devices, Aliyah couldn't escape the torment. 

That's when she ended her life in her bedroom, beginning a painful new chapter for Weatherspoon and his fiancé Charity and their other three young children. Life without Aliyah.

Now lawmakers are one step closer to a final bill that would legislate cyber bullying after signing off on bills sponsored by Representative Pete Lucido. The first versions were signed off by the ACLU to make sure freedom of speech is protected but harassment, threats and intimidation aren't.

"We may have been able to have Aliyah tell her mom and dad call the police, have the police to go to the one that started this and say enough's enough," Lucido said.

It isn't a thank you you'll hear from mom and dad. Gratitude is tough in the months after losing a child. But it's relief that perhaps other parents won't have to deal with this pain.

"I think that's a good thing. That something that we need all throughout here because like I said kids are being bullied every day," Charles said.