I am writing this petition to raise awareness on the lack of accountability held by Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School for fostering an environment rife with toxicity, harassment, and general bullying by both instructors and students. At the end of 2022, two Lincoln Park students committed suicide, including my beloved 17-year-old brother Joseph Aloi. The impetus to writing this petition is not only another recent student death, but many other Lincoln Park students, both current and alumni, who are incredibly disappointed by the school's conduct and have reached out to me regarding this dissatisfaction. Students at the time of my brother's suicide have voiced their disappointment with how the school handled these deaths; my family holds similar sentiments, as the school failed to properly reach out to my family to offer their support. I was deeply offended by this silence, as were my brothers, who all graduated from Lincoln Park several years ago, and considered ourselves close to many teachers there. Additionally, Joe's horrific decision to end his life directly stemmed, as evidenced by letters left behind and correspondences with some of his friends prior to his death, from an unnamed, female student at Lincoln Park and her choice to spread a rumor that circulated throughout the school under the guise of a "joke"; the accusation within this rumor has since been proven unequivocally false by the police officers heading the current legal investigation, as well as being supported by several first-person witnesses who adamantly denied Joe's involvement.

I am begging for a structural change in how the school operates, specifically in how it addresses bullying and mental health issues within the student body. The amount of suicides within the past two years is truly horrific, and it is even worse that there has not been a public address of concerns on student suicide/mental health. Additionally, several of Joe's friends felt like they were silenced by their teachers for openly grieving over his death, which is unacceptable. No accountability was held for the students specifically involved in spreading the rumor that triggered Joe's suicide. It deeply saddens me to hear so many stories from past and current Lincoln Park students who felt/feel unwelcome or even unsafe given the toxic environment present throughout the student body; my brother's life was unfortunately cut short as a result of a catastrophic rumor, which has again failed to be addressed. Again, I must stress the important of allocating more resources to mental heath resources (counselors, suicide awareness projects, addressing bullying, etc) to foster a healthier, more accepting environment. My brother's suicide was not only deeply traumatic for me, my family, and his friends, but the school's lack of support and lack of accountability held for the accuser made things infinitely more emotionally painful. I pray that in sharing my story, other people will join in to voice their concern for this current crisis affecting Lincoln Park students.