South Hadley,MA Phoebe Prince 15 kills self over bullying

[Paladine]

Locals hold bullying conference, South Hadley is represented...

"Why it happens, and how it hurts: Valley teenagers talk about the prevalence of bullying in their schools"

"Of the nine students, six said they themselves have been subjected to bullying behavior, and three said they had not. All nine said they had witnessed other students being bullied before, after and during school, in classrooms, halls, sports fields, school functions, online, at summer camps and in their own homes. The form bullying takes, they said, varies: name-calling, passing mean notes, exclusion, physical threats, harassing phone calls and online taunting."

"I feel like teachers will wait until something big happens," said A. G., an eighth-grader at Hampshire Regional. "If you go to a teacher and say something, they'll like say they'll talk to that person, but they just keep on doing it. They won't stop the problem if it's little. They won't do something until it gets big."

http://www.gazettenet.com/2010/04/03/why-it-happens-and-how-it-hurts

 

[Paladine]

"South Hadley High School staff 'shocked' by district attorney's report on Phoebe Prince"

Sayer said some staff members were “shocked” by the results of Scheibel’s probe.

“They feel they are being blamed for that and some people are very upset by the implication that they were responsible for the death of a child,” Sayer said.

The school district brought in the same counselor who talked with upset students in the school library in the aftermath of Prince’s death. Sayer could not recall the counselor’s name.

As for Scheibel’s remark that educators’ handling of the matter was “troublesome,” Sayer said he will refrain from commenting until after he meets with the district attorney. He is working to set up a meeting.

“Whenever she tells me we can talk, we’ll talk,” Sayer said.

Asked if there will be discipline of staff members who knew about the bullying and did not report it, Sayer responded that that is a possibility.

Employees at the school contacted by the newspaper declined to comment, with one saying that they have been instructed to refer all questions from media members to Sayer."

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/04/south_hadley_high_school_staff.html

 

[Paladine]

From Ireland...

"School defends actions in suicide case"

"The district attorney and superintendent clashed publicly over Mr Sayer’s attempts to defend his staff.

“He is under fire and lashing out,” Ms Scheibel said, adding that Mr Sayer knew nothing of the evidence she had collected.

Students and parents interviewed by the New York Times said that in December and January, Phoebe had repeatedly arrived late for classes, in tears. A teacher was seen comforting her while she wept in a corridor.

Two teachers are said to have watched as bullies hurled abuse at her in the school canteen, and did nothing.

On the day of her suicide, Phoebe was seen crying in the school nurse’s office.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0403/1224267629843.html

 

[Paladine]

For background...Kevin Cullen, again...from February 28th...apparently, Dan Smith did an investigation in January/2010, Gus has said, but even at the end of Feb/2010 the results weren't released...and have a peek at the comments...

"System of secrecy allows bullies to thrive"

"The powers that be in South Hadley are acting as if this is nothing more than a dry legal process. But truth isn’t driving this process. Liability is. Avoiding a lawsuit from some mean kid’s parent is more important than the truth.

Sayer and Smith say they can’t even specify what sort of discipline they have meted out. This, no doubt, will be tremendous comfort to Anne and Jeremy Prince, to learn that they can’t be told who tormented their daughter and what consequences the bullies faced.

There was a telling moment the other night at a meeting in South Hadley, ostensibly to convene an antibullying task force. A group of people stood and gave Dan Smith a loud standing ovation.

Just what they were applauding is anyone’s guess, given that we don’t know what Dan Smith did or didn’t do about the bullies who hounded Phoebe, before and after her death.

http://www.boston.com/community/mom...m_of_secrecy_allows_bullies_to_thrive/?page=2

 

[Paladine]

Topix blog from Jan 18th. The comments are most interesting...check this one out by a poster named Smith...the same poster, below this comment, names the girls..this was in Jan...lends credibility, imo...

The authorities at the school knew what was going on and did NOTHING. They allowed this to happen. Each and every one of them should be fired with no unemployment. They are all friends with or are afraid of the bullies parents
, who are consider outstanding members of the town, but who really are and raised their ugle little daughters to be too.

http://www.topix.com/city/south-had...-task-force-in-wake-of-death-of-phoebe-prince

 

[Paladine]

Wanna watch some football? South Hadley football team video. 2009, Sean Mulveyhill, should be there. I don't understand or watch football. I'm a canuck. I know hockey. He's #25. (http://www.myspace.com/46302267) Sort of wonder, in a melancholy way, if Phoebe might have been at that game...

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBVEWHOI9uQ&feature=related[/ame]

ETA: Yes. He's in it, at the end...

 

[Paladine]

Coverage of the anti-bullying meeting...it's titled "principal cries..." Good video of Dan Smith speaking...I can't decipher it right now for inconsistencies, though, my volume's off...
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiHzJmy_Uwg&feature=related[/ame]

 

[Paladine]

Video of parents speaking out at meeting...
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afyJ5fEdAO0[/ame]

 

[Paladine]

Wanna fly into South Hadley? See the terrain? This is a fun video...imo.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEFQnHnfM4U[/ame]

 

[BeenaBobba]

It looks like someone posted a link to this thread on the Facebook support page for Dan Smith. I wonder if we'll be getting some new visitors. Could get interesting! LOL.

 

[Paladine]

It looks like someone posted a link to this thread on the Facebook support page for Dan Smith. I wonder if we'll be getting some new visitors. Could get interesting! LOL.

:woohoo:

 

[BeenaBobba]

Hi everyone.Have just joined.I am also from Co. Clare in Ireland.I did not know Phoebe or her family but my heart is broken for them. This beautiful child who had her life ahead of her was tormented beyond reason through no fault of her own. She was a unique person who has touched the hearts of so many people. May she rest in peace.

Welcome to WS! I'm so sorry that Phoebe had such a horrible welcome to my country. As an American, I'm ashamed by the actions of the accused.

P.S. Ireland is beautiful! You're very lucky to live there!

 

[Paladine]

Father demands Sayer, Smith resign

"We now know through classmates and teachers, that this was going on for months and through their inactions, this thing was allowed to progress to the point where we lost a child. That's inexcusable,” Gelinas told 22News.

Gelinas suggested that any parent of a bullied child start making phone calls to the school, the police, and even the district attorney."

http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/local/father-wants-school-officials-to-resign1

 

[Paladine]

Facebook Fan page for the D.A. has just sprouted up...they are recruiting members...and I'm out of here for the night...or morning, should I say.

"THANK YOU, District Attorney Elizabeth Scheibel"
http://www.facebook.com/pages/THANK...zabeth-Scheibel/104860852883889?ref=ts&v=wall

 

[BeenaBobba]

We should compile a list (along with our sources, of course) of contradictory statements from Dan Smith and Gus Sayer. Like I've mentioned earlier, a lot of people from South Hadley accuse the media of inaccuracies and claim that outsiders don't really know what's going on; however, they don't exactly volunteer information proving the media wrong, do they? IMO, a list would show that a lot of people draw their conclusions from things the South Hadley administration have said themselves.

 

[Paladine]

" The heart-broken kin of Phoebe Prince are poised to break new legal ground if the lawyer they just hired files a civil suit against school officials accused of failing to crack down on the teen tormentors who drove her to suicide, experts said.

No lawsuit has been filed yet, but Prince’s family has retained Springfield attorney Rebecca Bouchard, who declined to comment.

Any civil action by the family against school officials would be “breaking new ground” and could be difficult to prove, legal experts said yesterday."

About time to break some new ground, isn't it? New laws seem unseeable at times...and difficult. But that doesn't stop people from trying. And sometimes, people succeed. And sometimes, justice is found. I pray the family finds strength. It's a long process. I did it. As some of you know, my Husband died. His death was found to be due to faulty construction. A bad builder. Anyways...we sued. And won. Although it took 6 yrs and put my life on hold, in a sense, I felt I owed it to him. It wasn't, honestly, about the money. I wanted someone to pay. In his name...

http://news.bostonherald.com/news/r...l_would_break_new_ground/srvc=home&position=1

 

[Paladine]

We should compile a list (along with our sources, of course) of contradictory statements from Dan Smith and Gus Sayer. Like I've mentioned earlier, a lot of people from South Hadley accuse the media of inaccuracies and claim that outsiders don't really know what's going on; however, they don't exactly volunteer information proving the media wrong, do they? IMO, a list would show that a lot of people draw their conclusions from things the South Hadley administration have said themselves.

I'll be happy to help with that later on today, BeenaBobba...after I sleep.

 

[BeenaBobba]

I'll be happy to help with that later on today, BeenaBobba...after I sleep.

Sounds like a plan!

 

[Belinda]

I was always so proud of the way my daughter handled herself in school. She was quite popular, but knew what I had gone through in school. She apparently took it to heart, because she would take all the unpopular kids under her wing and make them part of her group and protect them. I still don't know how she managed to do that and still be popular herself, but she did. I love her so much for it.

 

[stmarysmead]

We should compile a list (along with our sources, of course) of contradictory statements from Dan Smith and Gus Sayer. Like I've mentioned earlier, a lot of people from South Hadley accuse the media of inaccuracies and claim that outsiders don't really know what's going on; however, they don't exactly volunteer information proving the media wrong, do they? IMO, a list would show that a lot of people draw their conclusions from things the South Hadley administration have said themselves.

Great idea! I will help too.