Aa
9 charged with bullying Mass. teen who killed self
I came across this on Yahoo.com. So sad that a beautiful young lady with a whole life of possibilities yet so sensitive had to come to this:
9 Charged In Bullying Of Teen Who Killed Herself By STEPHANIE REITZ, Associated Press Writer Stephanie Reitz, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 37 mins ago
NORTHAMPTON, Mass. – Insults and threats followed 15-year-old Phoebe Prince almost from her first day at South Hadley High School, targeting the Irish immigrant in the halls, library and in vicious cell phone text messages.
Phoebe, ostracized for having a brief relationship with a popular boy, reached her breaking point and hanged herself after one particularly hellish day in January — a day that, according to officials, included being hounded with slurs and pelted with a beverage container as she walked home from school.
Now, nine teenagers face charges in what a prosecutor called "unrelenting" bullying, including two teen boys charged with statutory rape and a clique of girls charged with stalking, criminal harassment and violating Phoebe's civil rights.
School officials won't be charged, even though authorities say they knew about the bullying and that Phoebe's mother brought her concerns to at least two of them.
Northwestern District Attorney Elizabeth Scheibel, who announced the charges Monday, said the events before Phoebe's death on Jan. 14 were "the culmination of a nearly three-month campaign of verbally assaultive behavior and threats of physical harm" widely known among the student body.
"The investigation revealed relentless activity directed toward Phoebe, designed to humiliate her and to make it impossible for her to remain at school," Scheibel said. "The bullying, for her, became intolerable."
Scheibel said the case is still under investigation and that one other person could be charged. It wasn't immediately known Monday whether the teens who have been charged have attorneys.
Scheibel said the harassment began in September, occurring primarily in school and in person, although some of it surfaced on Facebook and in other electronic forms. At least four students and two faculty members intervened to try to stop it or report it to administrators, she said.
Schiebel refused to discuss the circumstances of the rape charges.
No school officials are being charged because they had "a lack of understanding of harassment associated with teen dating relationships," and the school's code of conduct was interpreted and enforced in an "inconsistent" way, Scheibel said.
"Nevertheless, the actions — or inactions — of some adults at the school are troublesome," she said.
A message seeking comment was left Monday for South Hadley Schools Superintendent Gus A. Sayer.
Phoebe was born in Bedford, England and moved to County Clare, Ireland, when she was 2. She moved last summer to South Hadley, home to Mount Holyoke College, because the family had relatives there.
Her family has since moved away and could not immediately be located for comment. Scheibel spoke for them at a news conference to announce the charges.
"The Prince family has asked that the public refrain from vigilantism in favor of allowing the judicial system an opportunity to provide a measure of justice for Phoebe," she said.
Some students accused of participating in the bullying have been disciplined by the school and will not be returning to classes.
The Massachusetts Legislature cited Prince's death and the apparent suicide of 11-year-old Carl Walker-Hoover of Springfield last year when members passed anti-bullying legislation earlier this month.
South Hadley is among several college towns in western Massachusetts that pride themselves on their urbane cultural offerings, good schools and safe streets. After Phoebe's death, the community formed an anti-bullying task force that drew more than 400 people to its first meeting in February.
Robert Judge, a South Hadley selectman and task force member, said hundreds of people have become involved in hope that something good comes from the incident.
"Like most towns, we like to think of ourselves as a good place to live, and then this happens and your reputation is sullied nationally and even internationally, and people look at you differently, and they make assumptions," Judge said.
Scheibel said the teens will be issued summonses to appear in court on yet-undetermined dates. The teens who face criminal charges under the indictments announced Monday are:
• Sean Mulveyhill, 17, of South Hadley. Charged with statutory rape, violation of civil rights resulting in bodily injury, criminal harassment and disturbance of a school assembly. A woman who answered the phone at his home Monday would not identify herself and told The Associated Press, "You don't know the full story."
• Kayla Narey, 17, of South Hadley. Charged with violation of civil rights resulting in bodily injury, criminal harassment and disturbance of a school assembly. A message left at a number listed to a Narey family was not immediately returned; another line was out of service.
• Austin Renaud, 18, of Springfield. Charged with statutory rape. A telephone number could not immediately be found.
• Ashley Longe, 16, of South Hadley. Charged as a youthful offender with violation of civil rights resulting in bodily injury. A telephone number could not immediately be found.
• Sharon Chanon Velazquez, 16, of South Hadley. Charged as a youthful offender with stalking and violation of civil rights resulting in bodily injury. There was no telephone listing.
• Flannery Mullins, 16, of South Hadley. Charged as a youthful offender with stalking and violation of civil rights resulting in bodily injury. A message left at a Mullins home was not immediately returned.
Three 16-year-old South Hadley girls, whose names were not released, face delinquency charges that include the civil rights offense, criminal harassment and disturbance of a school assembly.
__
AP writer Denise Lavoie and Mark Pratt in Boston contributed to this report.
9 Charged In Bullying Of Teen Who Killed Herself By STEPHANIE REITZ, Associated Press Writer Stephanie Reitz, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 37 mins ago
NORTHAMPTON, Mass. – Insults and threats followed 15-year-old Phoebe Prince almost from her first day at South Hadley High School, targeting the Irish immigrant in the halls, library and in vicious cell phone text messages.
Phoebe, ostracized for having a brief relationship with a popular boy, reached her breaking point and hanged herself after one particularly hellish day in January — a day that, according to officials, included being hounded with slurs and pelted with a beverage container as she walked home from school.
Now, nine teenagers face charges in what a prosecutor called "unrelenting" bullying, including two teen boys charged with statutory rape and a clique of girls charged with stalking, criminal harassment and violating Phoebe's civil rights.
School officials won't be charged, even though authorities say they knew about the bullying and that Phoebe's mother brought her concerns to at least two of them.
Northwestern District Attorney Elizabeth Scheibel, who announced the charges Monday, said the events before Phoebe's death on Jan. 14 were "the culmination of a nearly three-month campaign of verbally assaultive behavior and threats of physical harm" widely known among the student body.
"The investigation revealed relentless activity directed toward Phoebe, designed to humiliate her and to make it impossible for her to remain at school," Scheibel said. "The bullying, for her, became intolerable."
Scheibel said the case is still under investigation and that one other person could be charged. It wasn't immediately known Monday whether the teens who have been charged have attorneys.
Scheibel said the harassment began in September, occurring primarily in school and in person, although some of it surfaced on Facebook and in other electronic forms. At least four students and two faculty members intervened to try to stop it or report it to administrators, she said.
Schiebel refused to discuss the circumstances of the rape charges.
No school officials are being charged because they had "a lack of understanding of harassment associated with teen dating relationships," and the school's code of conduct was interpreted and enforced in an "inconsistent" way, Scheibel said.
"Nevertheless, the actions — or inactions — of some adults at the school are troublesome," she said.
A message seeking comment was left Monday for South Hadley Schools Superintendent Gus A. Sayer.
Phoebe was born in Bedford, England and moved to County Clare, Ireland, when she was 2. She moved last summer to South Hadley, home to Mount Holyoke College, because the family had relatives there.
Her family has since moved away and could not immediately be located for comment. Scheibel spoke for them at a news conference to announce the charges.
"The Prince family has asked that the public refrain from vigilantism in favor of allowing the judicial system an opportunity to provide a measure of justice for Phoebe," she said.
Some students accused of participating in the bullying have been disciplined by the school and will not be returning to classes.
The Massachusetts Legislature cited Prince's death and the apparent suicide of 11-year-old Carl Walker-Hoover of Springfield last year when members passed anti-bullying legislation earlier this month.
South Hadley is among several college towns in western Massachusetts that pride themselves on their urbane cultural offerings, good schools and safe streets. After Phoebe's death, the community formed an anti-bullying task force that drew more than 400 people to its first meeting in February.
Robert Judge, a South Hadley selectman and task force member, said hundreds of people have become involved in hope that something good comes from the incident.
"Like most towns, we like to think of ourselves as a good place to live, and then this happens and your reputation is sullied nationally and even internationally, and people look at you differently, and they make assumptions," Judge said.
Scheibel said the teens will be issued summonses to appear in court on yet-undetermined dates. The teens who face criminal charges under the indictments announced Monday are:
• Sean Mulveyhill, 17, of South Hadley. Charged with statutory rape, violation of civil rights resulting in bodily injury, criminal harassment and disturbance of a school assembly. A woman who answered the phone at his home Monday would not identify herself and told The Associated Press, "You don't know the full story."
• Kayla Narey, 17, of South Hadley. Charged with violation of civil rights resulting in bodily injury, criminal harassment and disturbance of a school assembly. A message left at a number listed to a Narey family was not immediately returned; another line was out of service.
• Austin Renaud, 18, of Springfield. Charged with statutory rape. A telephone number could not immediately be found.
• Ashley Longe, 16, of South Hadley. Charged as a youthful offender with violation of civil rights resulting in bodily injury. A telephone number could not immediately be found.
• Sharon Chanon Velazquez, 16, of South Hadley. Charged as a youthful offender with stalking and violation of civil rights resulting in bodily injury. There was no telephone listing.
• Flannery Mullins, 16, of South Hadley. Charged as a youthful offender with stalking and violation of civil rights resulting in bodily injury. A message left at a Mullins home was not immediately returned.
Three 16-year-old South Hadley girls, whose names were not released, face delinquency charges that include the civil rights offense, criminal harassment and disturbance of a school assembly.
__
AP writer Denise Lavoie and Mark Pratt in Boston contributed to this report.
I know this is going to sound crazy but I actually think this bad economy ,in a way, is a good thing. So many have had to re-prioritize their lives. People are realizing that the material things aren't that important. That they don't need new cars and big houses. I'm betting more families are having to cook dinner and not run through McDonalds in order to save money. It seems every bad thing has an up side.
I don't often get to say this . . . but I agree with the group! Everyone has something to share and taking the time to listen improves our own knowledge.
I know not every woman can be at home with their children------ and a family has to do what a family has to do. My husband and I had the same ideas about family when we married and planned things out from the beginning. I'm at home with our boys and feel it is a blessing to be. It is all those million little moments in which you get to teach those character lessons that might make a big difference in the end. I know plenty of working moms and they do a great job too. But I do feel I've been blessed to be there during these years and wish it were valued more by our culture these days.
If I found out one of my kids bullied a girl such as these 9 kids did----------- I'd be devastated. I don't know if I'd ever let them back out of their room.
I know not every woman can be at home with their children------ and a family has to do what a family has to do. My husband and I had the same ideas about family when we married and planned things out from the beginning. I'm at home with our boys and feel it is a blessing to be. It is all those million little moments in which you get to teach those character lessons that might make a big difference in the end. I know plenty of working moms and they do a great job too. But I do feel I've been blessed to be there during these years and wish it were valued more by our culture these days.
If I found out one of my kids bullied a girl such as these 9 kids did----------- I'd be devastated. I don't know if I'd ever let them back out of their room.
Ya no, I have given alot of thought to this as well. I think we all agree on more than we disagree on. The extremes of it all tick me off cause I am so against stuff like that, but other than that I think all political sides beit, independent, dems, republicans all have some good points. I do think we are all being used as pawns for our government to get what they want tho. We are a tool to be used for their end purpose. All of us.
I just want to say this.
When the trouble makers are not around we can actually have an intelligent peaceful conversation..We find that both side can actually agree and share ideas....
When the trouble makers are not around we can actually have an intelligent peaceful conversation..We find that both side can actually agree and share ideas....
I think that society has lost sight on whats really important in life....
Material things have become the priority...Dont get me wrong we all like nice things..But we must draw the line....
I was fortunate to have my mom stay home when I was growing up....I may not of had everything I wanted but I did have everything I needed..
I feel that it is unfair and selfish of people to have kids that they will have no real part in raising....
Material things have become the priority...Dont get me wrong we all like nice things..But we must draw the line....
I was fortunate to have my mom stay home when I was growing up....I may not of had everything I wanted but I did have everything I needed..
I feel that it is unfair and selfish of people to have kids that they will have no real part in raising....
I agree, next thing ya know the minute they are born, off to school they go. I think those first years are sooo important for a child and a parent to not be separated. We cannot go backwards but how do we go forward. I have noticed down thru the years that the houses get bigger and bigger, yet we have fewer children, and 2 incomes and 2 cars seem to be a must these days. We have more, we make more but the children are paying for it all, in more ways than one.
I do feel that the trend of other people raising our children is atleast partially to blame. Kids get shipped off to daycare and then parents wonder why their kids dont know them and dont listen.I see moms that cannot quite their own babies....
But I also understand that it takes two incomes to survive in thye world....I just dont know......
But I also understand that it takes two incomes to survive in thye world....I just dont know......
When my children were young and having had 3 boys close in age, one of course had to be a bully. But back then you had the responsibility of dealing with them. We had a no fighting rule and a rule that if you got into trouble of any kind at school, you would pay double at home as a result. They were to scared of me and their dad to even attempt anything at school. Same for me when I was growing up. Now days parents have no control and the kids know it. I dont know what the answer is. Teachers have always handled structure in the classroom, and worked with the parents.
Teachers should not be responsible for raising children.That is the parents responsibility. When the teachers have to concentrate on behavioral issues they cannot teach and it takes time away form the kids who actually want to learn..
Yes things are way out of comtrol..Little children getting in trouble for riduculous things..Hugging, kisses on the cheek...I mean come on..I think there are alot more improtant things to worry about.....
Yes things are way out of comtrol..Little children getting in trouble for riduculous things..Hugging, kisses on the cheek...I mean come on..I think there are alot more improtant things to worry about.....
You make a good point. They have gone to the extreme with this. My daughter has a 5 year old in kindergarten. He does not want to be there so he has acted out to the point that time out did nothing. He would knock over chairs and lash out at anyone close to him. They suspended the 5 year old and told mom if he did it again he would be kicked out of school. At 5 years old! Since the discipline and structure has been taken out of the school it has led to this kind of thing across the board. Mom has no control as well. Nothing works with this child, but instead of the teachers being taught how to handle students, they resort to things like this. I dunno what the answer is. You hear of 8 year old being arrested for striking a classmate and all kinds of stuff. Society is way out of control.
Yes I would think so. I remember when there was a student who committed suicide when I was in high school (this was not a reaction to a bullying incident) and there was a meeting but I was upset when the school principal made the announcement and said the student "had made the wrong decision" (I knew personal details could not be stated but I knew it was not a willful decision and that he actually needed help). Some years later I met a friend of his and it turned out he was under treatment for depression and had discontinued Prozac so what it was treating returned. However, there are many students who don't seek help who might need it.
That doesn't mean depression or any other psychiatric issue is always the cause. With some incidents like that Myspace cyberstalking one that is now being tried and hard to set a defined sentence as there is a lack of legislation in that area (which should be the same as pre-existing legislation for that behavior in general imo, no opinion), at that age people are impressionable and creating the idea that the whole school and their friends hate them can trigger that in some people. I was bullied in school but I spoke to the guidance counselor and school principal and they told them to stop and then did but the school officials need to be responsive at all times and take constructive action rather than just creating legislation that will cause students who are just acting out to be treated like criminals which is what happening in N.Y.C. If parents are not involved in raising their children in general then there is always a poor outcome.
That doesn't mean depression or any other psychiatric issue is always the cause. With some incidents like that Myspace cyberstalking one that is now being tried and hard to set a defined sentence as there is a lack of legislation in that area (which should be the same as pre-existing legislation for that behavior in general imo, no opinion), at that age people are impressionable and creating the idea that the whole school and their friends hate them can trigger that in some people. I was bullied in school but I spoke to the guidance counselor and school principal and they told them to stop and then did but the school officials need to be responsive at all times and take constructive action rather than just creating legislation that will cause students who are just acting out to be treated like criminals which is what happening in N.Y.C. If parents are not involved in raising their children in general then there is always a poor outcome.
Crazy...I just dont understand how you go from somewhat normal to suicide overnight....Its sad...
I often wonder in situations like these if there is not something else going on underneath the surface....
We have all been impulsive teens and go through all that comes with that...As miserable as it can be the majority of us do not commit suicide....
I often wonder in situations like these if there is not something else going on underneath the surface....
We have all been impulsive teens and go through all that comes with that...As miserable as it can be the majority of us do not commit suicide....
There doesn't seem to be any reason to think she was depressed, in the clinical sense.
When adult women kill themselves, it's usually because of a lifetime of chemical depression and despair that isn't really related to what's going on in their lives. Men often kill themselves because of an event - a wife leaving, bankruptcy, etc.
She had just been asked to the Cotillion by a boy she likes, she was apparently appearing well, and then on her way home from school the bullies came by and shouted at her and threw an energy drink on her, and that did it.
Teenagers can be so incredibly impulsive.
When adult women kill themselves, it's usually because of a lifetime of chemical depression and despair that isn't really related to what's going on in their lives. Men often kill themselves because of an event - a wife leaving, bankruptcy, etc.
She had just been asked to the Cotillion by a boy she likes, she was apparently appearing well, and then on her way home from school the bullies came by and shouted at her and threw an energy drink on her, and that did it.
Teenagers can be so incredibly impulsive.
I was meaning how could her parents allow their daughter to get to the point of suicide? It had to be painfully obvious....She was a child living under their roof and it is not like they were not fully aware of the situation...Like I said seems asthough her death could have been avoided....
Her parents did see it, and tried numerous times to intervene. They had several meetings with school officials but NOTHING was done, even by the admission of the school administration. What gets me is now they are charged with "disturbance of a school assembly" which means that the administrators could not have not noticed, and it did go on during school hours at school.
NOTHING was done, not even to call a few of the kids in and ask for clarity.
NOTHING was done, not even to call a few of the kids in and ask for clarity.
There is no way in heck that I could have been so depressed and suicidal that my folks would not have seen it....
Parents are just not involved enough in their kids lives anymore....It is sad...
Parents are just not involved enough in their kids lives anymore....It is sad...
That is where the investigations are so crucial to the overall determination of just what happened.
Someone has to set the criteria also for what is deemed, childish behavior.
Good point :-)
Someone has to set the criteria also for what is deemed, childish behavior.
Good point :-)
Its complex because on the one hand bullying has increased in recent years especially with areas that are more difficult to regulate such as online (where legislation is lacking, also parents should take more supervision over that on their own, cyberbullying should be concordant with current regulations against stalking). However although supposedly well meaning schools that have taken a stance against bullying have created anti-bullying regulations that have resulted in children being arrested and sentenced for what was basically childish behavior. The law and the education system should examine this in a more neutral light and parents should be allowed to participate as well.
I see it says the following:
"The Prince family has asked that the public refrain from vigilantism in favor of allowing the judicial system an opportunity to provide a measure of justice for Phoebe," she said.
It also says : School officials won't be charged, even though authorities say they knew about the bullying and that Phoebe's mother brought her concerns to at least two of them.
I haven't done further digging to see what other facts have emerged. It is tragic. Bullying is being magnified more and more because of what damage it does and in this case...loss of life is the ultimate price to pay.
This is another area deserving attention and asking the questions in search of answers: What kind of environment allows this to flourish and why wasn't something done sooner to avoid the tragic loss of life. What if anything could have been done?
"The Prince family has asked that the public refrain from vigilantism in favor of allowing the judicial system an opportunity to provide a measure of justice for Phoebe," she said.
It also says : School officials won't be charged, even though authorities say they knew about the bullying and that Phoebe's mother brought her concerns to at least two of them.
I haven't done further digging to see what other facts have emerged. It is tragic. Bullying is being magnified more and more because of what damage it does and in this case...loss of life is the ultimate price to pay.
This is another area deserving attention and asking the questions in search of answers: What kind of environment allows this to flourish and why wasn't something done sooner to avoid the tragic loss of life. What if anything could have been done?
I heard about this too, and it is tragic. We have all been bullied at one time or another and it was hard for us too. Bullying has been around since the beginning of time. With that said, I truly wonder what the parents are doing to curtail the situation. Do they condone it, ignore it, egg it on? To me this all goes back to the way someone is reared.Combined with the internet to make things much much worse in this day and age and to expand even further someones humiliation is unspeakable. I remember when we parents were held responsible for what our children did. Whatever happened to that philosophy! My heart goes out to this child and all like her that contend with this every hour of every day. Its awful!
Where were her parents in all of this?
This is a sad situation.....But it seems that it all could have been avoided ....
This is a sad situation.....But it seems that it all could have been avoided ....
You must join this user group in order to participate in this discussion.
You are reading content posted in the Current Events . . . Group
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.
