Fayette community to honor student with balloon release following suicide

FAYETTE, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Fayette community held a balloon release Saturday at Paige-Liberty Park to honor Zyairah Barney, a seventh grader at Fayette R-3’s Clark Middle School who died by suicide.

Family members said Barney, who was biracial, had been dealing with ongoing bullying, which they claim was rooted in racism.

Now, they are mourning her loss and demanding answers.

Family and friends said while they were aware of the bullying, it never appeared to be deeply affecting her at least not on the surface.

“She really didn’t talk about it much. She had been bullied for so long that she started to internalize it and tried to figure out how to deal with it on her own,” said her mother, Devon Barney.

One of her best friends, Brielle Padilla, shared a similar experience, stating Zyariah rarely spoke about the bullying. Padilla also said she has faced racist remarks from other students.

According to her mother, Barney left school early Wednesday, stating she wasn’t feeling well. Hours later, her absence from track practice raised concern.

Her sister Adrianna Barney noticed something was wrong and called their mother to check on her.

“Her sister told me to go and check if she was asleep… so I went in the room, and she was hanging in the closet,” said Barney's mother.

Family allege that students reported the behavior to school staff multiple times, but no action was taken. Barney’s mother also reportedly raised concerns with the school.

“The same people are allowed to do this over and over again, and nothing is done,” her mother said. “Something needs to change. I lost my daughter because of it.”

Fayette R-3 Superintendent Brent Doolin released a statement following Barney’s death:

"Our hearts are with the family as they face this loss. We are keeping them in our thoughts and are providing additional support for students and staff as our school community grieves. Out of respect for the family, we are not able to share specific details about this situation," the statement read.

Doolin said the well-being and safety of our students is the district's highest priority.

"When concerns are brought forward, they are carefully reviewed and investigated, and appropriate action is taken to support student safety and well-being. In addition, students receive ongoing guidance and support on how to recognize, report, and respond to bullying," the statement read.

Family members said Barney had been on antidepressants and had struggled with self-harm.

“One particular boy bullied her so much that she felt the need to physically defend herself,” her mother said. “But when she did, she was the one who got in trouble. She was expelled from school like she had done something wrong.”

Family and friends said this tragedy is not isolated. They point to another student in the community who died by suicide years ago after being bullied about his race. According to community members, that student’s family has since moved out of town.

Daniel Edwards came to show his support for the Barney family on Saturday. He said he lived in Fayette for about a year but ultimately left because the racism became too much to handle.

“This is something that’s been happening for years — parents going to schools and raising concerns about bullying,” he said. “That’s part of the reason I moved away. My trust in the school and the administration was completely broken.”

Family and friends are urging school leaders and the community to take stronger action to prevent future tragedies.

Fayette police said they are investigating the circumstances surrounding the student’s death.

Officials have not released the number of students who may have been involved but are asking anyone with information to come forward. At the same time, they are urging the public to avoid speculation so the investigation can proceed without interference.