Peekskill community in mourning following death of 10-year-old student

PEEKSKILL, N.Y. — There is anger and heartbreak in one Westchester County city after a young student reportedly took his own life.

The father of the student, 10-year-old Lucas Illesecas, is calling for the superintendent to step down. He spoke at Tuesday night’s at the Peekskill Board of Education meeting.

“I been coming for six month. You never listen to me. You never open that door,” he said, adding in Spanish, “You gotta go. You know that. You know that.”

“Sir, we can’t discuss employees or employment matters at this time,” a board member said.

Before the father spoke, the superintendent, Dr. David Mauricio, offered a moment of silence for the young student.

The superintendent said he’s aware of the allegations the student took his own life.

In a letter to the school community he said, in part, “I believe it is important for me to respond to allegations of inappropriate behaviors in our schools,” adding, “As a district, we work closely with our students and families to address inappropriate behaviors. We are carefully reviewing school records, communications, and any other interactions to ensure allegations of misconduct are responded to properly and in a timely manner.”