Incidents relating to bullying and bullying-related suicides appeared to dominate the news in 2010. From tragic suicides to parents embracing vigilantism, 2010 witnessed several prominent cases highlighted in the media. Between March and May, another two teens committed suicide. With the preceding bullying case of Phoebe Prince still resonating in people's minds, the self-inflicted deaths of Jon Carmichael and Christian Taylor, would only deepen the anguish.
Bullies repeatedly shoved Carmichael's head in the toilet
As the implications of 15-year-old Phoebe Prince's suicide (Suite101.com; Dec. 2010) were still being played out in the media, 13-year-old Jon Carmichael of Joshua, Texas, hung himself in a barn on March 28, 2010. Friends said that Jon was just a little guy, shorter than his peers, and this made him a natural target for bullies at Loften Middle School in Johnson County.
Jon's older sister, Crystal Brooks, told Lari Barager of Dallas-Forth Worth's Fox 4 News on Apr. 01, 2010, "What was going on at school sucked the life out of him." Brooks was referring to ongoing incidents of bullying involving her brother, one of which included having his head repeatedly shoved into the toilet. Carmichael's sister also alleged that her brother tried to defend himself and got into trouble for it. "The harassment," Brooke's said at Myfoxdfw.com, "made him feel scared and alone."
Eva-Marie Ayala and Mitch Mitchell of the Star-Telegram reported on Mar. 31, 2010, that Johnson County Sheriff Bob Alford said that because Jon's death was self-inflicted and no complaint had been received by the Sheriff's department, they would not be pursuing further leads, unless new information came to light. According to Ayala and Mitchell's, "Joshua Teen Reportedly Committed Suicide After Bullying," published at Star-telegram.com, Carmichael's family said that school officials were more than aware of the issues surrounding their son.
Bully allegedly tells Christian Taylor, "Why don't you just go and kill yourself?"
Just two short months after Jon Carmichael's death, another teenager would take his own life by hanging. On May 31, 2010, sixteen-year-old Christian Taylor, a freshman at Grafton High School in Yorktown, Va, hung himself in his bedroom. Just 4 days later on Jun. 04, Alisa Williams, Taylor's mother, told CBS affiliate WTKR at Cbsnews.com, "All I remember is looking into my son's eyes, because he had the most beautiful blue eyes, and he was staring and he was cold."
In a previous interview with the family on June 03, 2010 at CBS 6, Wtvr.com, reporters Tracy Sears and Mike Bergazzi said that according to Taylor's stepfather Andrew Juntti, "The comment made to my son was why don't you just go and kill yourself?" Friends of Taylor also allege that other comments hurled the 16-year-old's way included telling him to, "Just go and sit in the corner and cut himself."
Taylor's family said they reported several incidents to both school officials and York County Superintendent Eric Williams, who claims that action was taken, but wouldn't specify further. Alisa Williams even reported the matter to the local sheriff's department who determined that no crimes had been committed. All officials involved, claim the family, simply did not do enough to help Taylor in his hour of need.
Wrongful death lawsuit is filed in bullying case
The lack of resolution says Daily Press reporter, Jennifer L. Williams, led Taylor's mother to file a wrongful death lawsuit on July 30, 2010, against four school officials and one deputy from the York-Poquoson Sheriff's Office. The lawsuit alleges that, "School officials should have been aware of the emotional damage and suicide risk caused by such harassing behaviors, and ...enforced anti-bullying policies mandated by the Virginia Department of Education and the York County School Board."
Williams also reported in her article, "York Student's Mother files $10 Million Wrongful Death Suit," published on Aug. 05, 2010 at Dailypress.com, that although the bully was not named in the suit, the perpetrator was described as an "Aggressive" character, who "habitually harassed ...verbally abused, ...threatened and bullied other students."
Unfortunately the remaining months of 2010 were not through with suicide-related bullying incidents just yet. July brought forth another teen death with the self-inflicted hanging of Justin Aaberg and September alone, perhaps the most devastating month of them all, witnessed six suicides linked to bullying, many of them gender oriented.
Note: All sources accessed Jan. 01–02, 2010.
Elizabeth Batt - Elizabeth Batt is a former large animal nurse, certified NREMT, lover of equines and conservationist.
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