Ava Little’s family calls for stronger bullying policies in Peach County Schools

Family and community members push for change during Board of Education meeting following vigil for 12-year-old Ava Little

PEACH COUNTY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Friends and family gathered Monday at the Peach County Board of Education to honor 12-year-old Ava Little, a life her family says was full of light.

But beyond remembrance, there was also a call to action.

Loved ones and supporters later filled the Peach County Schools Board of Education meeting, asking leaders to take a closer look at how bullying is handled.

“We just gather here basically to make sure that Ava’s voice is heard and every child in Peach County’s voice is heard and to make it known that the policy needs to be changed,” Ava’s mother, Brandy Little, said.

Peach County Schools previously released a statement in March outlining how it defines bullying. As 41NBC reported, the district said some of that guidance was meant to provide a “general understanding” and was not tied to one specific legal definition under Georgia law.

Ava’s mother says she believes the district’s current policy is not doing enough to protect students.

“The overall policy is outdated,” she said. “It needs to be updated. It needs to be stricter, it needs to be enforced. We want to make sure that our kids are safe, and that the policy is updated to today’s day and time.”

One parent in attendance said her child was a friend of Ava’s and has also experienced bullying, and she wants to see stronger action from the district.

“I’d really like to see there be actual repercussions whenever kids are saying these awful things,” Brittany Gordon said. “I mean it’s not okay. And to know parents are going up to the school, I mean fortunately for us the incident came to a resolution between the girls, but what happens when they don’t? It ends like this, and that should never happen.”

During the meeting, Brandy Little proposed the “Ava Little Anti-Bullying Policy,” calling for stricter, enforceable consequences and immediate accountability for bullying, while supporting both victims and offenders.

Her plan also focuses on prevention, including required mental health education and an expanded definition of bullying to address physical, verbal, social and online behavior.