9-Year-Old Boy Commits Suicide After Homophobic Bullying

[Kween 2,696]

A nine-year-old boy has killed himself after enduring four days of homophobic bullying at school in Denver, Colorado, his mother says.

 

Leia Pierce told KDVR-TV that her son, Jamel Myles, revealed to her over the summer that he was gay. She said Jamel wanted to go to school and tell his classmates because he was "proud" to be gay.

 

He had begun attending fourth grade at the Joe Shoemaker Elementary School on Monday, she said. "My son told my oldest daughter the kids at school told him to kill himself," Ms. Pierce said. "Four days is all it took at school," she added. "He didn't deserve this." "I'm just sad he didn't come to me. I'm so upset that he thought that was his option."

 

She is calling for more “accountability” over bullies. “I think the child should (be held accountable) because the child knows it's wrong. The child wouldn't want someone to do it to them. I think the parent should be held (accountable) because obviously the parents are either teaching them to be like that, or they're treating them like that,” she said.

 

Denver Public Schools (DPS) say crisis counselors have been made available to students at Jamel's elementary school. The school system sent letters to families on Friday about the additional counseling services for students. The letter addressed to Shoemaker families, says Jamel's death "is an unexpected loss for our school community" and offers parents signs of stress to watch for in their children. "Our goal is to partner with you in sharing this news with your child in the most appropriate way possible, with as much support as may be needed, so please feel free to reach out about how you want to handle this."

 

DPS Spokesman Will Jones told the BBC that teachers at Shoemaker "are creating a space for students to share how they are feeling and to process their emotions". Fourth and fifth-grade teachers will also be calling families individually to check on students. "Our priority right now is to look at all the concerns raised in this case, to keep all our students safe and to do a fair and thorough review of the facts surrounding this tragic loss," he said in an emailed statement.

 

Jamel's body was found at home on Thursday, Ms. Pierce told local media. A coroner's report released confirmed the cause of death was suicide

 

Video:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/news/video-1752196/Video-Mom-says-son-killed-bullied-school.html

 

Sources:

Spoiler

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45323933

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6103579/Nine-year-old-Colorado-boy-kills-bullied-coming-gay.html

 

 

[Noctelus 2,930]

so very sad 

[ARTPOPSTER 4,246]

Awful. Truly dispicable that children do this to others. Nine year old children should not have to deal with ***holes like this. No one should have to. The school system really needs to do something, not just damage control. 

[River 128,532]

The school needs to be shut down, to fire all the teaching crew, this school don't know how to deal with bullies.. the blood is on their hands..

And those kids are mirrors of their parents, they should get punished too.

RIP little angel.

[Robagaga 9,345]

Omg that is awful

The world is fucking messed up

Hopefully he is in a better place now...

[TheodoreRx 1,540]

Honestly I think homeschooling would be appropriate for some gay or gender nonconforming children. It just feels like mainstream schools aren't good for LGBT people. 

[Shipper 13,114]

I'm curious as how a 9 year old knows how to commit suicide. I just could not wrap my head around a little boy committing suicide that young. 

This is such a sad loss. 

I work in an elementary school and I see so many kids there. To think one of them could commit suicide because they were being bullied is heartbreaking. 

[Mirrion Rizzons 12,757]

4 minutes ago, TheodoreRx said:

Honestly I think homeschooling would be appropriate for some gay or gender nonconforming children. It just feels like mainstream schools aren't good for LGBT people. 

well no bc that would make LGBTQ+ People feel alienated from other people, the whole idea of pride is to be integrated with everyone else and have the same rights.

I'm gay and I'm more than fine at school,

obviously home schooling is an option though for anyone, regardless of sexuality who will work better at home or if it's safter for them  

[Aglaya 8,505]

4 minutes ago, TheodoreRx said:

Honestly I think homeschooling would be appropriate for some gay or gender nonconforming children. It just feels like mainstream schools aren't good for LGBT people. 

That may be a solution, but it shouldn’t. We have to teach every child the basics of respect and love. Homeschooling lgbtq kids just because they are lgbtq kids, its not really the best way of making this kids comfortable with their lifes.

[TheodoreRx 1,540]

Just now, Aglaya said:

That may be a solution, but it shouldn’t. We have to teach every child the basics of respect and love. Homeschooling lgbtq kids just because they are lgbtq kids, its not really the best way of making this kids comfortable with their lifes.

 

2 minutes ago, Mirrion Rizzons said:

well no bc that would make LGBTQ+ People feel alienated from other people, the whole idea of pride is to be integrated with everyone else and have the same rights.

I'm gay and I'm more than fine at school,

obviously home schooling is an option though for anyone, regardless of sexuality who will work better at home or if it's safter for them  

Until the straights can get it together, we need to protect lgbt children. 

[27monster27 16,030]

The fact that he was only nine years old makes this absolutely horrible. Kids are not born hating, so they need to be taught love and affection ASAP in their lives. Any sexuality that is not straight needs to be taught to kids a normal at a very early point in their lives. This should not have happened. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family as well as anyone else that may have been affected negatively by this.

[Hi Its Nicole 5,428]

Omg he didn’t deserve this. So sad.

[ARTPOPSTER 4,246]

12 minutes ago, TheodoreRx said:

Honestly I think homeschooling would be appropriate for some gay or gender nonconforming children. It just feels like mainstream schools aren't good for LGBT people. 

I do online school, not because I’m LGBT, but because all the schools suck where I live. I think it’s much better than public and private school. 

[Doncho 27,241]

2 minutes ago, 27monster27 said:

The fact that he was only nine years old makes this absolutely horrible. Kids are not born hating, so they need to be taught love and affection ASAP in their lives. Any sexuality that is not straight needs to be taught to kids a normal at a very early point in their lives. This should not have happened. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family as well as anyone else that may have been affected negatively by this.

Thiss!! Its not that hard and it doesnt require money. Just parents opening their minds. I feel so bad, poor little boy...

[Robo Ga 15,617]

This makes me feel sick to my stomach. Poor little guy. People are cruel