1 Ohio school, 4 bullied teens dead by own hand

[BuckyRea]

Full story here

I encourage everyone to read this story... it's stunningly heartbreaking. We never see bullying this bad in the school where I teach, but by "we" I mean teachers. I don't see any signs of bullying like this among our kids. But you never know. No bully is worth losing your life over. But for young people, sometimes seeming different--or worse, being taunted for being different--can seem like such a terrible thing.

1 Ohio school, 4 bullied teens dead by own hand

MENTOR, Ohio — Sladjana Vidovic's body lay in an open casket, dressed in the sparkly pink dress she had planned to wear to the prom. Days earlier, she had tied one end of a rope around her neck and the other around a bed post before jumping out her bedroom window.

The 16-year-old's last words, scribbled in English and her native Croatian, told of her daily torment at Mentor High School, where students mocked her accent, taunted her with insults like "Slutty Jana" and threw food at her.

It was the fourth time in little more than two years that a bullied high school student in this small Cleveland suburb on Lake Erie died by his or her own hand — three suicides, one overdose of antidepressants. One was bullied for being gay, another for having a learning disability, another for being a boy who happened to like wearing pink.

Now two families — including the Vidovics — are suing the school district, claiming their children were bullied to death and the school did nothing to stop it. The lawsuits come after a national spate of high-profile suicides by gay teens and others, and during a time of national soul-searching about what can be done to stop it.

{snip}

Suzana Vidovic found her sister's body hanging over the front lawn. The family watched, she said, as the girls who had tormented Sladjana for months walked up to the casket — and laughed.

"They were laughing at the way she looked," Suzana says, crying. "Even though she died."

I teach in a mostly Hispanic school. We seem to have a problem with boyfriend-on-girlfriend bullying by thuggish insecure males this year. But that's usually a social isolation problem. Nothing like the mob-mentality of large groups of kids taunting one outcast like you see in white culture. Still, social violence is unacceptable in all its forms.

 

[Arakhor]

Disgusting behaviour and even worse on top from the school, scurrying to cover up their criminal negligence.

 

[ZeletDude]

This is sad. . I feel bad for her.

 

[Terxpahseyton]

Suzana Vidovic found her sister's body hanging over the front lawn. The family watched, she said, as the girls who had tormented Sladjana for months walked up to the casket — and laughed.

"They were laughing at the way she looked," Suzana says, crying. "Even though she died."

W..Wo..We...WHAT?

 

[Miles Teg]

Holy Crap. Normally I'm not in favor of lawsuits after suicides, but this just screams 'preventable death'.

 

[bombshoo]

Apparently a handful of people I know from Cleveland that go to OSU went to that school. They said that it was a very bad school for bullying and you basically had to conform completely to not be picked on. Sad story.

On a somewhat related note, the pronunciation of the city is quite odd. It's "Min-ner", not "Men-tor". At first I was confused and thinking my friends were referring to the wrong city.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

W..Wo..We...WHAT?

I know, its jerks!! Somebody should legally be allowed to punch them in the face.

 

[Terxpahseyton]

I know, its jerks!! Somebody should legally be allowed to punch them in the face.

Jerk doesn't even come close to what they are. And while the greater good sadly does not allow for your suggestion - I totally agree.

I actually can't really believe this is true.

 

[downtown]

Apparently a handful of people I know from Cleveland that go to OSU went to that school. They said that it was a very bad school for bullying and you basically had to conform completely to not be picked on. Sad story.

Yeah, Mentor is the biggest HS in the state, and a major OSU pipeline...as are most of the Cleveland suburbs with money.

Mentor is the perfect storm...lots of fairly affluent families mixed with a sudden influx of modest income immigrants. Mix in hormones and insecurity, and BAM. Problems.

There is no excuse, even for a school the size of Mentor High, to have 4 suicides in 2 years. They need a more proactive role from their guidance staff. This sort of thing was surely documented, and if not, it should have been.

 

[Tee Kay]

In before "she should tough it out and deal with it like everyone else 'cause bullying is a fact of life etc".

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Jerk doesn't even come close to what they are. And while the greater good sadly does not allow for your suggestion - I totally agree.

I actually can't really believe this is true.

The word I really wanted to use would get me infracted

 

[amadeus]

What was the school doing this whole time? After the first time this happened, the red flags should have sprung up like Leningrad on May Day.

 

[JohnRM]

"(..)and all these kids making fun of your trenchcoat
that's how students get shot up(..)"

Or...as Sean Kennedy said...

"Don't kill yourself. Kill other people!"

 

[danjuno]

"(..)and all these kids making fun of your trenchcoat
that's how students get shot up(..)"

Or...as Sean Kennedy said...

"Don't kill yourself. Kill other people!"

Exactly. What ever happened to the saying "what goes around comes around"?

 

[aronnax]

*shakes head*

It was foolish for this child to end her life so shortsightedly.
Bullying is a horrible thing. It is a whole new level from just making someone a social outcast.
Measures need to be made.

 

[Godwynn]

Suzana Vidovic found her sister's body hanging over the front lawn. The family watched, she said, as the girls who had tormented Sladjana for months walked up to the casket — and laughed.

This is a disgrace.

 

[Disgustipated]

This seems so much worse than when I was in school. But I really do think it depends on the school. Schools where I live are much better. We may have the dumbest students, but we have far less bullying. I think it is because of our diversity (low white population).

The lawsuit is crap though. How can a school prevent suicides?

As for what the girls said at the funeral, I'm going to be harsh and basically say they deserve to die. I will stand by that remark. Those girls deserve no less than death.

 

[Tee Kay]

Measures need to be made.

What measures?

 

[TheLastOne36]

I teach in a mostly Hispanic school. We seem to have a problem with boyfriend-on-girlfriend bullying by thuggish insecure males this year. But that's usually a social isolation problem. Nothing like the mob-mentality of large groups of kids taunting one outcast like you see in white culture. Still, social violence is unacceptable in all its forms.

Very typical for Latin countries - I wouldn't worry about it too much if your school has a large latin population. (as long as it doesn't get physical/abusive of coarse)

On a somewhat related note, the pronunciation of the city is quite odd. It's "Min-ner", not "Men-tor". At first I was confused and thinking my friends were referring to the wrong city.

Great Lakes accent.

For example, we Torontonians pronounce Toronto, "Torono".
~~~
Anyway...

As usual, one must question why the suicide? How hard would it have been to ask your parents to transfer schools? I will never understand the thinking process of some people.

regardless, this sounds to me as if this was quite preventable, and should've been seen and dealt with long before it escalated especially seeing as this school has already had 3 suicides before this.

The school should give a warning of some kind on the lines of expulsion if bullying continues.

As for the bullies coming and laughing (!) at the poor girl's grave, Are you serious? They should be sent far far away to get help.

 

[Tee Kay]

How hard would it have been to ask your parents to transfer schools? I will never understand the thinking process of some people.

Maybe the parents didn't know. I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't tell anyone.

The school should give a warning of some kind on the lines of expulsion if bullying continues.

Where's the line then? What kind of bullying would warrant expulsion?

As for the bullies coming and laughing (!) at the poor girl's grave, Are you serious? They should be sent far far away to get help.

Get help for what?