14 year old girls form suicide pact, hang themselves in MN

[Whirled Peas]

no people tease in controlled environements like school because they know you can't fight. They dont act like that after school or in town because they know there can be cosequences. Its just like the fear of the gun prevents way more break ins than actually shooting does.

Knowing a person can clock you prevents it from happening.

I was thinking of that while I visited Arizona last year. Everyone seemed to be so nice and pleasant and law abiding. Does this have anything to do with the fact that they are allowed to pack weapons?

Well then there was that shooting near Tucson. MK Ultra though I suppose, so not necessarily indicative of the population.

[sorrysorry]

Man, suicide at such a young age. Reminds of that boy who was bullied for walking with a limp. He tried to commit suicide but it went wrong and he ended up having brain damage. This is a must read, though a warning for the ladies who are PMSing, it will induce boat loads of tears.

Bullied Teen Attempts Suicide, Left Permanently Brain Damaged

by Kevin Caruso

Tom (his parents only want his first name used), is from Anchorage Alaska, and was an extremely intelligent and talented boy. He excelled in school, loved science, played the clarinet, was an expert rock climber, and obtained his pilot's license at age 14.

The future looked bright for this intellectually gifted, hard-working, strong, and tremendously talented boy.

But his life became very difficult when he entered middle school. Tom walked with a limp because of a physical problem that he had since birth. And he was also somewhat physically uncoordinated because of this condition. And because of these problems, Tom was incessantly bullied by several cowards at his middle school.

The cowardly bullies constantly physically and verbally abused him. He also was constantly shunned - which is another form of bullying. Students would not sit with him during lunch, and they would avoid him when walking down the hallway.

Sometimes they would knock his books out of his hands and laugh at him.

Tom was in the school band, and once some cowardly bullies took his clarinet and threw it in the garbage can.

The bullies constantly taunted him.

One day Tom entered the washroom, and some cowardly bullies followed him and kicked and punched him.

Tom was horrified and went to school administrators to tell them what happened, but Tom, unbelievably, was suspended along with the bullies.

When Tom returned to school, he was assaulted again in the washroom.

And Tom was suspended again, even though he was the victim of the assault.

Tom was now suffering from depression and was constantly afraid. And on November 6, 1998, as he was walking down the hallway, he was pushed to the ground by a cowardly bully.

Unbelievably, Tom was suspended yet again, even though he was the victim.

The next day, Tom hanged himself.

When his mother returned home, she found Tom and called 911. When paramedics arrived, Tom did not have a pulse, but after 15 minutes of CPR, his heart began working. But it was too late, Tom was left with permanent brain-damage.

Tom's parents sued the school district, and reached a settlement out of court.

And the attorney that represented Tom was so outraged by the bullying that he started an anti-bullying program in the area.

Tom cannot feed himself. He is fed by a special tube that inserts near his stomach. He cannot walk. He barely can move. He has constant muscle spasms, and sometimes his limbs flail uncontrollably. His mouth hangs open, and his eyes have a glazed, blank look to them.

The school failed Tom in every way. Tom asked for help, but instead was punished by the school administrators.

Tom's parents also told school administrators what was happening and asked for help, but received nothing.

The school, Central Middle School, in Anchorage, Alaska, is a disgrace.

It was inexcusable to allow this wonderful young man to be bullied incessantly, especially when he was reaching out for help. The incompetence and negligence on the part of school administrators does not get any worse than this.

It was as if they were actually trying to help the bullies kill Tom.

And these administrators should not be employed at any school. They are not only incompetent, they are dangerous.

It is no consolation for Tom's parents to receive a settlement from a lawsuit. They pursued civil action because it was the only thing that they could do. Nothing will reverse Tom's brain damage.

I am deeply sickened, disgusted, and outraged at everyone at this school that did nothing to help Tom.

All of you, who sat and did nothing, cannot even be called human beings.

Criminals is the appropriate word.

All schools should have an anti-bullying policy in place, which needs to include a zero tolerance for bullying.

http://www.suicide.org/bullied-teen-att ... maged.html



What's even more sad is he was one gifted and talented kid.

[Moreflourideplease]

Would anybody be surprised if it turned out the government scouted schools for future recruits for their many Black Ops agencies, much the same as athletic scouts always do? Only perhaps the government is especially interested in those kids who exhibit sociopathic traits or an emotional callousness. It doesn't have to use them only as cannon fodder on a battlefield.

[dicktater]

What's even more sad is he was one gifted and talented kid.

Sad story, yes. But assuming Tom's last name was the same as his parents, their last name (though not the settlement amount) would be a part of the public record of their lawsuit. That Tom's parents wanted his last name withheld for the story doesn't make any sense.

There was no mention of Tom's parents ever seeking other options for his schooling. And why, if they did seek other options, were they not exercised? Why would caring parents allow their son to continue attending a school that repeatedly failed to defend their son's rights? Other than the piece at suicide.org, I wasn't able to find anything else at all, no news stories, no nothing, regarding Tom's story. I wonder, is this truth or fiction?

[sorrysorry]

I wonder, is this truth or fiction?

Article about the settlement:

Court: District must reveal details on bullying settlement
$4.5 million was paid out after boy attempted suicide following abuse by other students

By
the associated press

ANCHORAGE - A state judge ordered the Anchorage School District to release details of a settlement reached with the family of a boy who attempted suicide after repeated bullying at his middle school.

The school district did so Wednesday: $4.5 million, including $1 million paid by the district and $3.5 million paid by its insurance company, First Specialty Insurance.

In issuing the order Tuesday, Superior Court Judge Sen K. Tan cited a 1989 Alaska Supreme Court decision, also involving the Anchorage district.

In that case, the high court "held that confidentiality clauses in settlements entered into by a public body are unenforceable," Tan wrote.

Tan also said the family of the juvenile gave consent to unsealing the settlement because they did not object to a request from the Anchorage Daily News to make it public and did not participate in the court proceedings.

School officials said in a news release the decision to settle the claim and the amount of the settlement was made by First Specialty Insurance. Superintendent Carol Comeau said that because damages sought by the student's attorney, Dennis Maloney, exceeded the district's $1 million self-insurance limit, the district was contractually required to give control of case decisions to the insurance company.

Maloney had filed an initial claim of damages for $33 million to pay for a life-care plan for the student. The school district was prepared to go to trial to defend itself against the allegations in the lawsuit, officials said.

The family of the boy has asked that he be identified only by his first name, Tom. The school district referred to him as T.F.

According to documents and testimony in the family's lawsuit, Tom was a 14-year-old eighth-grader at Central Middle School, gifted in math and science and fascinated by rockets and airplanes.

According to court records, the boy was picked on by other students both verbally and physically. Kids harassed him in the hallways, pushed him and knocked textbooks out of his hands, his mother testified. His clarinet was thrown into the trash. At least twice, boys accosted him in the bathroom, according to the lawsuit.

On Nov. 6, 1998, Tom strung up a rope at home and hanged himself. When paramedics arrived, he had no pulse. After 15 minutes of CPR, they got his heart going. But he had already suffered extensive and irreversible brain damage.

Today, his condition remains unchanged. He wears diapers, is fed through a tube and knows only a few words.

His family sued the district in 2000, accusing school employees of failing to do enough to stop the bullying. The confidential settlement was reached last fall.

According to the district, confrontations by Tom and other students did not involve repeated bullying by one or two other students. Tripping, pushing and name-calling involved various students.

"Occasionally T.F. himself instigated the confrontations. Other times other students were the instigators of this misbehavior. They were single-situation incidents and the students involved were given disciplinary sanctions," the district said.

School staff intervened and arranged a signal the boy could give anytime he felt unsafe at school, according to the district. At no time did school staff, his mother or his psychologist detect indications he was at risk for suicide, according to the district.

"Mr. Maloney's claim that the district is at fault for this tragedy is wrong, and the district was prepared to go to trial to prove its case," district officials said.

http://juneauempire.com/stories/070104/ ... ails.shtml

[dicktater]

Thank you sorrysorry!

My father career was in education as a teacher, principal, and later administration at the district level. He had very interesting ways of dealing with confrontations between students. I should know. He was principal of one of my schools for three years. His first day as principal, the first day of school, he had to paddle his own son. But while most of the schools in surrounding counties had serious racial confrontations between students, he never once had a problem.

I wonder, is this truth or fiction?

Article about the settlement:

Court: District must reveal details on bullying settlement
$4.5 million was paid out after boy attempted suicide following abuse by other students

Not enough, IMHO.

In issuing the order Tuesday, Superior Court Judge Sen K. Tan cited a 1989 Alaska Supreme Court decision, also involving the Anchorage district.

In that case, the high court "held that confidentiality clauses in settlements entered into by a public body are unenforceable," Tan wrote.

Good!

Tan also said the family of the juvenile gave consent to unsealing the settlement because they did not object to a request from the Anchorage Daily News to make it public and did not participate in the court proceedings.

They prevailed. Why should they object?

Maloney had filed an initial claim of damages for $33 million to pay for a life-care plan for the student. The school district was prepared to go to trial to defend itself against the allegations in the lawsuit, officials said.

I wonder how much of the settlement Maloney took?

According to the district, confrontations by Tom and other students did not involve repeated bullying by one or two other students. Tripping, pushing and name-calling involved various students.

"Occasionally T.F. himself instigated the confrontations. Other times other students were the instigators of this misbehavior. They were single-situation incidents and the students involved were given disciplinary sanctions," the district said.

School staff intervened and arranged a signal the boy could give anytime he felt unsafe at school, according to the district. At no time did school staff, his mother or his psychologist detect indications he was at risk for suicide, according to the district.

"Mr. Maloney's claim that the district is at fault for this tragedy is wrong, and the district was prepared to go to trial to prove its case," district officials said.

No one could possibly believe anything school system "officials" say after this, could they?

http://juneauempire.com/stories/070104/ ... ails.shtml

[Whirled Peas]

Thank you sorrysorry!
He had very interesting ways of dealing with confrontations between students. I should know. He was principal of one of my schools for three years. His first day as principal, the first day of school, he had to paddle his own son.

Yes, it's always good to make an example of the ones that you CAN make an example of.

And what did you learn DT? Kids should be seen and not heard? Raise your hand if you want to participate?

[dicktater]

Thank you sorrysorry!
He had very interesting ways of dealing with confrontations between students. I should know. He was principal of one of my schools for three years. His first day as principal, the first day of school, he had to paddle his own son.

Yes, it's always good to make an example of the ones that you CAN make an example of.

And what did you learn DT? Kids should be seen and not heard? Raise your hand if you want to participate?

No. I never had any expectation that I would be treated differently by my father. Later on, I thought that I was being held to a somewhat higher level of accountability. But, I came to understand that it was really just differences in each situation he had to deal with.

On that first day of third grade, I learned that fighting with your best friend over a stupid girl is... stupid. My best friend's father was the superintendent of the school. He got paddled, too.

[Whirled Peas]

And what did you learn DT? Kids should be seen and not heard? Raise your hand if you want to participate?

No. I never had any expectation that I would be treated differently by my father. Later on, I thought that I was being held to a somewhat higher level of accountability. But, I came to understand that it was really just differences in each situation he had to deal with. You're so friggin' mature !

On that first day of third grade, I learned that fighting with your best friend over a stupid girl is... stupid. My best friend's father was the superintendent of the school. He got paddled, too.

Wow! You learned THAT in third grade!?!

Let me reiterate .... You're so friggin' mature ! Even in grade three.


(sorry screwed up the quote things)

[Bender]

Does bullying done by teachers and principals count as bullying?