South Hadley,MA Phoebe Prince 15 kills self over bullying

[BeenaBobba]

Here's a quote from Dan Smith's Facebook support page:

Enough already there's been bullying since the beginning of time. I know this was an awful thing to happen to this beautiful girl, but it happens in all aspects of life not just high school. Do we do this retroactive and fire every principal that allowed this in thier school in the past. Enough leave him alone and let him get back to running the school and put the programs into effect that will protect other students in the future.

Unfortunately, it seems this kind of attitude is very common in South Hadley. They try to rationalize bullying by pointing out how common it is. What I find interesting is that she implied that the principal "allowed" this to happen in the school. I hate to say this, but I suspect South Hadley would sweep this under the rug if they were left to their own devices.

 

[BeenaBobba]

It seems that the lawyer for one of the accused, Sharon Chanon Velazquez, is saying that she's been the victim of online attacks:

Though Attorney Keefe insists his client is innocent and is now a victim of cyber threats.

"She has been subject to significant public disdain and reprimand. She and her family are being subjected to extensive internet intimidation," said Keefe.

This is precisely why I think people need to tone it down and stop calling for blood. I think she's guilty, and I want justice to be served, but I'll be pretty angry if the case against her is weakened by vigilantes who inadvertently paint her as a victim.

 

[BeenaBobba]

In the comments of this blog, a man claims to be a relative of one of the accused. He doesn't name names, but you might want to check it out. It may make your blood boil, though!

Here's a snippet:

Phoebe Prince’s skeletons will be uncloseted soon enough.

:furious:

 

[Belinda]

Quote:
Posted by mom52
April 03, 2010, 10:15AM
sTAFF IS RESPONSIBLE - YES THEY KNEW. I SUBBED ONE DAY MONTHS PRIOR TO HER DEATH AND KNEW THAT FIRST DAY. COMMON KNOWLEDGE AT THE SCHOOL. ****** THERE IS AN ELECTION ON MONDAY FOR SCHOOL COMMITTEE. LETS GET ED BOISELL OUT AND THE OTHER THAT IS RUNNING UNOPPOSED. WRITE INS CAN GET THEM OUT, LETS DO IT FOLKS. LETS GET NEW FACES IN THERE THAT REALLY CARE ABOUT THE CHILDREN, FAMILIES AND TOWN AS A WHOLE AND NOT THE ALMIGHTLY DOLLAR AND POLITICS.

There is not the slightest doubt in my mind that the teachers and administration fully well knew what was going on. Not a doubt. In my situation, at one point, there would be 10 girls waiting right outside my classroom door every day. I would have to wait for the teacher to walk to his next class in order to leave with him. He saw the girls every day and knew what they were there for and did nothing. Then, I would be late to my next class because of it and would get in trouble for being late, even though they knew why I was late. It was so flagrant and constant that everyone knew. No one ever intervened. I couldn't even go to the bathroom. I was a little tiny thing and scared out of my mind. I know exactly how Phoebe felt and it makes my heart hurt to know she couldn't hack it. What is it that makes teachers not care if someone is being systematically destroyed? What kind of a person is that? Why didn't they care? :furious:

 

[Boyz_Mum]

In the comments of this blog, a man claims to be a relative of one of the accused. He doesn't name names, but you might want to check it out. It may make your blood boil, though!

Here's a snippet:



:furious:

Thanks BeenaBobba. There are quite a few posts there following the one you mention. Most others seem to be similar to the views here. I'm not sure what the relative thinks will be revealed about Phoebe that will change anyone's opinion about her being brutalized and bullied to her death (and possibly bullied after her death). JMO.

Have any of the accused shown one ounce of remorse about the situation? (If they have, I haven't read about it.) JMO.

 

[Paladine]

In the comments of this blog, a man claims to be a relative of one of the accused. He doesn't name names, but you might want to check it out. It may make your blood boil, though!

Here's a snippet:



:furious:

I've seen this around. After she died they waited for the tox results, wondering if drugs were involved, it's mentioned in the first news reports. Imagine how that must have felt to the family. I've read, on the blogs, in comments, with frequency, one of the slurs and insults they threw at her was "druggie". The tox results came back, I assume, and charges were laid. That tells me alot.

 

[Paladine]

There is not the slightest doubt in my mind that the teachers and administration fully well knew what was going on. Not a doubt. In my situation, at one point, there would be 10 girls waiting right outside my classroom door every day. I would have to wait for the teacher to walk to his next class in order to leave with him. He saw the girls every day and knew what they were they for and did nothing. Then, I would be late to my next class because of it and would get in trouble for being late, even though they knew why I was late. It was so flagrant and constant that everyone knew. No one ever intervened. I couldn't even go to the bathroom. I was a little tiny thing and scared out of my mind. I know exactly how Phoebe felt and it makes my heart hurt to know she couldn't hack it. What is it that makes teachers not care if someone is being systematically destroyed? What kind of a person is that? Why didn't they care? :furious:

Your post breaks my heart, I think Phoebe felt alot the same...thanks for sharing, Belinda. :blowkiss:

 

[Paladine]

"Family of Phoebe Prince retains attorney
Prince family may be considering filing civil suit against School officials"

"If the school administrators have specific knowledge of harassment and assault and stalking and intimidation and fail or refuse to take steps, then they need to be held accountable,” explained attorney Bradley Henry to the Cape Cod Times.

In 1997, Henry represented the family of MIT student Scott Krueger, who died after drinking alcohol at a fraternity party.

Henry points to Northwestern District Attorney Elizabeth D. Scheibel’s description of the behavior of school officials as “troublesome” when charging nine students on Monday as significant.

“The mere fact that the district attorney’s office was troubled enough by such conduct to comment about it publicly suggests there is strong evidence behind those concerns,” he added. “Where there is smoke, there is fire.”

No charges have been filed against school officials to date."

"If there’s a clear line of causal events from the harassment to the student’s suicide, and if school administrators were aware of some or all of these events and failed to act, there should be no reason at all that they should not be held accountable for those failures to act,” said Henry

http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Family-of-Phoebe-Prince-retains-attorney--89829387.html

 

[Paladine]

New evidence will show there were two separate sets of bullies who brought Irish emigrant Phoebe Prince to despair and caused her suicide on January 14th in South Hadley, Massachusetts.

Both were related to the two boyfriends she has while she was in South Hadley High School where she enrolled after moving from Ireland.In both cases jealous former girlfriends led the bullying against her.

What is clear is that Phoebe Prince died not because she was unpopular, but because she was far too popular, especially with boyfriends at a status obsessed high school for her own good.

Her first boyfriend, football player Sean Mulveyhill, broke up with her and he immediately began harassing her. Ashley Longe, a jealous former girlfriend of Mulveyhill took up the bullying and she and her friend Kayla Narey began organizing hurling insults at her. Both were members of the school's field hockey team.
On the last day of her life it was Mulveyhill, Longe and Narey who surrounded her as she walked to class. She tried to escape but they followed her outside and threatened her.
When she walked home that afternoon the bullies drove by in a car and one of them, an underage girl who has not been named, hurled a can of red bull at her which hit her.

In addition to the Mulveyhill gang, Phoebe's other boyfriend Austin Renaud, also had a jealous ex girlfriend, Flannery Mullins. Mullins and her best friend Sharon Velazquez also began the torment of Phoebe and other friends of theirs joined in.
Phoebe then became the target of two separate cliques of bullies. Their favorite insults were 'Irish *advertiser censored*' and 'Irish *advertiser censored*.

http://www.irishcentral.com/story/n...parate-gangs-new-evidence-shows-89863757.html

SO...Ashley was the ex-girlfriend and not Kayla...according to this report...

 

[Paladine]

Sounds like Mulveyhill played a BIG part. Even more like that Texas case than I thought...

 

[Paladine]

This continued for three months and Phoebe's mother, Anne O'Brien Prince asked twice that school authorities do something. They refused
http://www.irishcentral.com/story/n...parate-gangs-new-evidence-shows-89863757.html

WHY? Because he's the FOOTBALL STAR? Because they play FIELD HOCKEY?

 

[SkewedView]

This whole thing upsets me so much that I can't make any specific comments without earning a timeout.:furious:

Just wanted to thank you Paladine for all of the time and work you are putting into this - the thanks button just isn't enough!

 

[LogicalMinds]

Thanks for all the info Palladine

This is such a tragedy...I am glad they are going after these bullies but what about the adults here..the teachers, the principal etc?? I think they should be prosecuted also

 

[jjenny]

Thanks for all the info Palladine

This is such a tragedy...I am glad they are going after these bullies but what about the adults here..the teachers, the principal etc?? I think they should be prosecuted also

Prosecutor already said the adults will not be prosecuted. Frankly it's a suicide not a murder.
I don't understand the desire to punish everyone in sight. I am not saying the teachers couldn't or shouldn't have done more to protect the girl. But a criminal prosecution? As far as I can tell most accusations consist of other teenagers calling this girl names. What exactly do you think would happen if teachers called police? Do you really think DA would prosecute teenagers for name calling if this girl did not kill herself?

 

[Belinda]

Prosecutor already said the adults will not be prosecuted. Frankly it's a suicide not a murder.
I don't understand the desire to punish everyone in sight. I am not saying the teachers couldn't or shouldn't have done more to protect the girl. But a criminal prosecution? As far as I can tell most accusations consist of other teenagers calling this girl names. What exactly do you think would happen if teachers called police? Do you really think DA would prosecute teenagers for name calling if this girl did not kill herself?

I'm not sure we really know all that went on. However, reading your post made me realize that I cannot possibly be objective here because of my own experiences. I would, personally, rather see the teachers and administrators who failed to act, prosecuted than the teens themselves. Teachers have got to stop turning a blind eye to this sort of behavior. There is normal teenage angst and then there is driving someone to the point of killing themselves. There has to be a reasonable, happy medium somewhere.

 

[Belinda]

This isn't simply about being popular. I was systematically terrorized for literally years. You probably would not believe all that was done to me during those years. I KNOW what this girl felt. I barely made it through myself. If I hadn't moved to live with my grandmother for 1 1/2 years in 10th grade, I probably would not have survived. It was that bad. But, when I moved to that other area, I had lots and lots of friends. It was at that point that I realized it wasn't me or something about me. I went back to that same school for senior year and nobody messed with me. I was a much stronger and more confident person then and I let them know things were different and I wouldn't take any crap. They never bothered me again. If I hadn't had the experience of living in a new area and making lots of friends, I do believe I would have killed myself. I don't know the exact level of the abuse that Phoebe suffered, but I am guessing by the fact that she committed suicide. I know I am emotionally invested in this story and it has brought back haunting memories for me, so I am probably not as objective as I should be.

 

[jjenny]

This isn't simply about being popular. I was systematically terrorized for literally years. You probably would not believe all that was done to me during those years. I KNOW what this girl felt. I barely made it through myself. If I hadn't moved to live with my grandmother for 1 1/2 years in 10th grade, I probably would not have survived. It was that bad. But, when I moved to that other area, I had lots and lots of friends. It was at that point that I realized it wasn't me or something about me. I went back to that same school for senior year and nobody messed with me. I was a much stronger and more confident person then and I let them know things were different and I wouldn't take any crap. They never bothered me again. If I hadn't had the experience of living in a new area and making lots of friends, I do believe I would have killed myself. I don't know the exact level of the abuse that Phoebe suffered, but I am guessing by the fact that she committed suicide. I know I am emotionally invested in this story and it has brought back haunting memories for me, so I am probably not as objective as I should be.

In this case, I've seen accusations that she was called names, a bottle was thrown at her. It all could be devastating to a teenager but as of now I have not seen anything reported to suggest some outrageous abuse.

 

[Belinda]

In this case, I've seen accusations that she was called names, a bottle was thrown at her. It all could be devastating to a teenager but as of now I have not seen anything reported to suggest some outrageous abuse.

I agree, that's why I think there is possibly more to it than what has been released. I could be wrong and she was just a very sensitive girl that took the taunts to heart. But, I also think that if it were simply name-calling then charges wouldn't have been brought. I will see if I can find out any more about it.

 

[jjenny]

I agree, that's why I think there is possibly more to it than what has been released. I could be wrong and she was just a very sensitive girl that took the taunts to heart. But, I also think that if it were simply name-calling then charges wouldn't have been brought. I will see if I can find out any more about it.

In case of suicide, public is outraged, so I think quite possibly the charges are being brought because she killed herself, and wouldn't have been brought otherwise.
Even with statutory rape I would guess that most 16 year old with 15 year old girlfriends would not be charged, or their parents and other adults would be screaming "bloody murder" leading to change in laws to include "Romeo and Juliet" provisions for small age differences. I guess we will have to wait and see.

 

[Belinda]

In case of suicide, public is outraged, so I think quite possibly the charges are being brought because she killed herself, and wouldn't have been brought otherwise.
Even with statutory rape I would guess that most 16 year old with 15 year old girlfriends would not be charged, or their parents and other adults would be screaming "bloody murder" leading to change in laws to include "Romeo and Juliet" provisions for small age differences. I guess we will have to wait and see.

I personally think the statutory rape charges are bogus and are needlessly complicating the case. Whether they should have had sex or not, if she did so willingly, they are grasping at straws here. It's making for a 'get them at all costs' atmosphere which I think is inappropriate. This case needs to be looked at very carefully and the right decisions need to be made.