Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover hanged himself on April 6th, after enduring months of threats, harassment and anti-gay slurs. He was only 11 years old.
Carl played football and basketball, and was active in the Boy Scouts. But none of that protected him from the bullying he faced when he started sixth grade. Since school began, his mother said that other kids at school were harassing him. Kids taunted him and said he acted like a girl and they made fun of the way he dressed. They called him gay. Carl did not identify as gay, but that just didn’t seem to matter to his tormentors.
So just before dinner, Carl wrapped an extension cord around his tiny neck and hanged himself. His mother had to cut him down. She said her son couldn’t stand another day of bullying in school.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syIhJN-U-dw&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1]
On April 16th, just after school, Jaheem Herrera, a Georgia boy who had also endured relentless homophobic taunts at school, wrapped a fabric belt around his tiny neck and hanged himself as well. He too was only 11 years old. His 10-year-old sister found him.
In March, 2007, 17-year-old Eric Mohat shot himself in the head, after a long-term tormentor told him in class, “Why don’t you go home and shoot yourself; no one will miss you.” Eric liked theater, played the piano and wore bright clothing, and had long been subject to taunts of “gay,” “fag,” “queer” and “homo.” Teachers and school administrators, the Mohats’ lawsuit now asserts, did nothing.
To learn more about bullying and sexual identity, read Judith Warner’s blog post “Dude, You’ve Got Problems” (Domestic Disturbances,The New York Times)
There are several entities that failed these children, including their parents / guardians, the school administrators, the teachers, friends and parents that apparently let this abuse continue.
Breakdown in formal and informal support at schools is a pervasive problem that persists and continues in many schools and institutions. We need to get involved and do more to save more of our youth from relentless teasing and bullying. There are just a handful of local programs like Kidsbridge who teach diversity appreciation, conflict resolution and character education to elementary and middle school children. A committed nationwide effort is sorely needed.
Please ask yourself, your community and your educators — How can we prevent tragedies like this in the future, and what are we doing about it now?