teased at school, 12 yr old wiccan daughter hangs herself. Parents sue

[WriterDom]

LINCOLN PARK, Mich. (AP) - A mother whose 12-year-old Wiccan daughter hanged herself from her bunk bed has sued the local school district, claiming administrators ignored teasing that preceded the girl's suicide.

Tempest Smith, who died Feb. 20, wrote in her journal that her classmates often crowded around her chanting ``Jesus loves you'' and made comments that ridiculed her beliefs.

The girl's mother, Denessa Smith, said she told her daughter's teachers and counselors at Lincoln Park Middle School several times about the teasing.

``But nobody did anything,'' Smith told The Detroit News.

Smith is seeking $10 million in damages in the religious discrimination and civil rights suit filed July 3 in federal court. School officials made no statement on the case.

Wiccans, whose spiritual path has roots in pre-Christian religions in Europe, worship nature.

``If it would've been a Christian kid being teased, you can bet they would've done something,'' said Smith's attorney, Joel Sklar.

 

[Guest]

 

[PacificBlue]

Exactly...I spent way to much time after school was over being afraid to open up to anyone because of the hurt and teasing I endured in school. This story makes me ill because it happens everyday to really great kids who don't deserve all they are dished out.

My personal hell lasted from kingergarten all the way through highschool...you have to love small towns. I've even had the pleasure of running into a few classmates now and again and having them say..."remember when we called you ***** and *****, wasn't that funny?" uhhhh...no.

 

[bluntforcemama]

Oh that poor family. I know how she must have felt. I hope those kids never forget what they did to her.

 

[Tabby432]

It's not the other kids fault... it's not the schools fault... it's not the parents fault. It's just tragic.

While I don't want the parents to win the lawsuit... I do hope that something positive comes from this.

A greater awareness and understanding of teen suicide and different beliefs would be great. Empathy for everyone involved is probably too much to hope for but would be nice.

 

[OUTSIDER]

It's not the other kids fault... it's not the schools fault... it's not the parents fault. It's just tragic.

While I don't want the parents to win the lawsuit... I do hope that something positive comes from this.

A greater awareness and understanding of teen suicide and different beliefs would be great. Empathy for everyone involved is probably too much to hope for but would be nice.

I can't agree with you here, the school has a duty to act as the parent while the child is in their care, if they didn't stop the bullying because they didn't view wicca as a valid religeon then they need to get their ass's nailed to the wall.

I think there's a feeling in some quarter's that because it's not a christian being bullied it doesn't matter, well thats just plain wrong and I think that the reason this bulling wasn't stopped is because the other children where not just trying to bully but convert this girl to christianity and that the teachers who are probably christians themselves may not have viewed this as a bad thing.

You can bet your ass that had this girl been a christian and the bully's muslim's, the girls suicide would have been all over the news and there would have been uproar.

 

[Dillinger]

And... even to this day, in its own way - "witch hunts" continue... this is truly sad...

 

[Tabby432]

OUTSIDER

I can't agree with you here, the school has a duty to act as the parent while the child is in their care, if they didn't stop the bullying because they didn't view wicca as a valid religeon then they need to get their ass's nailed to the wall.

I think there's a feeling in some quarter's that because it's not a christian being bullied it doesn't matter, well thats just plain wrong and I think that the reason this bulling wasn't stopped is because the other children where not just trying to bully but convert this girl to christianity and that the teachers who are probably christians themselves may not have viewed this as a bad thing.

You can bet your ass that had this girl been a christian and the bully's muslim's, the girls suicide would have been all over the news and there would have been uproar.

And I couldn't agree with you more.

 

[OUTSIDER]

Re: OUTSIDER

And I couldn't agree with you more.

OK who are you and what have you done with the real Tabby432

 

[beckbabe]

This is a horrible story. Unfortunately when kids commit suicide because they're teased for being fat or different nothing is done either. I do wish her parents had protected her a little more, as they had to know their beliefs were widely prejudiced against. Many "alternative" families are discreet to avoid the children being teased. I don't think it's right that they should have to, but it probably is safer. Maybe because religion was involved they can get an award from the court...I hope so if it gives them peace, but I doubt it.

 

[Starfish]

Being from New England I was around Wiccans all of the time. As a matter of fact, my best friends mother is the high priestess in a Coven. I am disgusted that these people treated this girl as inferior, and the school did nothing. What if she had been Hindu, Buddist, Taoist, Native American??? Whatever....

People do treat Witches as social outcasts still and I am so ashamed of the mentality of these people who teased her.
What a bunch of shit. As if it isn't hard enough gaining your own identity as a teen. When you try, you are ridiculed and beaten down in attempts to gain your submission to the group mentality these fools buy into. I am shocked and very upset by this.

I wish I knew her name so I could pray for her soul.

 

[Tabby432]

Unfortunately when kids commit suicide because they're teased for being fat or different nothing is done either. I do wish her parents had protected her a little more, as they had to know their beliefs were widely prejudiced against. Many "alternative" families are discreet to avoid the children being teased. I don't think it's right that they should have to, but it probably is safer.

Now this is where I don't agree and why I thought that something positive could out of something so tragic.

Depression Causes Suicide!

It's just not true that being teased, even unmercifully, causes suicide. Once again, drepression causes suicide. I don't ague that it can't be a contributing factor to depression but it isn't the cause of depression.

Here are some links to sites that deal with the issues of depression and teen suicide. They do a much better job of explaining it than I could ever hope to.

http://www.edweek.com/ew/ewstory.cfm?slug=31problemsbox1.h19

http://www.focusas.com/Depression.html

The real Tabby.

 

[sexy-girl]

i think its so sad when i read storys like this and they often make me quite emotional i wish i could of been there to give her a hug and to have been her friend its so sad that shes gone from the world when she was so young

 

[Laurel]

If these were adults, and it were the workplace instead of school, there's no way that these people would have been able to "tease" (aka harass) her without repercussions.

We allow kids to taunt, abuse, harass, and beat each other unmercifully. Then, when they're older and they're getting into bar fights and being fired from work for bullying coworkers, we act shocked at their behavior - the same behavior that we condoned while they were growing up.

Assault is assault. When boys on a playground beat up the weak kid, it should be seen as no different from a bunch of dudes at a bar beating some other dude in the parking lot. Yet for some reason the first situation is "boys will be boys" and the second is a crime. I'm not saying we should put kids in jail, but I AM saying that we need to start affording kids AT THE VERY LEAST the same protection that adults receive.

 

[sexy-girl]

i agree fully if this happened between an adult they would of sued them right away for discrmnation in the work place. but when it happens to kids they just say its all part of growing up

 

[Todd]

You can bet your ass that had this girl been a christian and the bully's muslim's, the girls suicide would have been all over the news and there would have been uproar.

Ummmm, Last year in the USA there were 752 christian boys and girls between the 12-19 that committed suicide because of teasing and bullying related to thier belief in Jesus Christ.
{Assosiation Baptist Membership Roll Call 2001, this is the year end review of what happens in Assosiation}

Last year in canada there were 323 christian boys and girls between the ages of 14-18 that committed suicide because of the teasing and bullying related to thier Belief in Jesus Christ.
{Convention Baptist Membership Roll Call 2001, this is the year end review of what happens in Assosiation}

Not a one of them made a major paper article or a major television or radio news cast.

 

[OUTSIDER]

Todd somebody noticed or you wouldn't have those stats to quote and the reason they may not have made as big a splash as you'd have liked is cause those kids were teased and bullied by other ostensibly (although admittedly less commited) christian children, but had the bullys been of another religeon say wiccan, muslim, hindu or any of the less well represented religeons in the US then there would have been as I've said uproar.

 

[Todd]

Todd somebody noticed or you wouldn't have those stats to quote and the reason they may not have made as big a splash as you'd have liked is cause those kids were teased and bullied by other ostensibly (although admittedly less commited) christian children, but had the bullys been of another religeon say wiccan, muslim, hindu or any of the less well represented religeons in the US then there would have been as I've said uproar.

Stats goe out every year for association and convention. Usually to see how the overall congregation grows or shirnks. In order to se how the needs are to be met better.

19 of the kids were in Utah were teased by the Mormon Childen being called apostate sons of the Satan. Mormonism does not view baptist as an equal but as a lesser apostate religion. Utah is Mormon world.

You will never, and I mean ever {to quote christ Jericho there} see a news story on the Chrsitans being beaten to death by the Muslims in the Middle east. The Christians being imprisoned and starved to death by the Budist/taoist in China/Japan.

But rest assured if a christian so much as look at one of the others with something in thier eye it will be all over the news with them being called elitist rapist racist bigots. Story above prime example. Its been on CNN 5 times so far.

100 Christians were murders last week in Palestine, how many times was that on CNN? zip, zero, nada, it wasn't. Why? cause christaisn are elitist rapist racist bigot bastards that deserve everything and anything that they get.

 

[OUTSIDER]

Todd lets keep it about the US for the moment and although you draw a line between momans and baptists, the rest of us who aren't really commited christians don't draw that line and as far as we know it's one kid bullying another kid but the kid we're talking about was a member of a very small religeous group and suffered for it.

I'd like to ask you a question, if you met a person who was nice enough and you felt you could be friends how would then feel if that person later told you they were a wiccan.

 

[Todd]

Todd lets keep it about the US for the moment and although you draw a line between momans and baptists, the rest of us who aren't really commited christians don't draw that line and as far as we know it's one kid bullying another kid but the kid we're talking about was a member of a very small religeous group and suffered for it.

I'd like to ask you a question, if you met a person who was nice enough and you felt you could be friends how would then feel if that person later told you they were a wiccan.

the line is not drawn by me that is the line that the Mormons have defined.

The Answer to your question yes.

I am friends with 2 wiccans in RL.
Friend with one guy that says he is a Satanist, though I think he is just screwed in the head cuase he doesn't even follow the basics tenets of Satanism.
I am friends with a buddist in RL.
I am friends with a Hindi couple in RL.

I do not base who I like on a title of religion, skin coulour, language{well we each have to be able to speak a common toungue so we can understand each other but that is obvious}, ethnic background.

Life is to short to base friendships on what I am. If something that we can share can be found, we can tolerate one anothers personalities while in each others presence, I would more tha likely be a friend.

 

[Angel]

Many "alternative" families are discreet to avoid the children being teased. I don't think it's right that they should have to, but it probably is safer.

Screw that. Nobody should have to hide who they are. Nobody, no matter what their *Difference* is.

Not only did the kid commit suicide, but the school administration who didn't step in reinforced the behavior of the children who taunted her for being different. They weren't shown that it was wrong.

If the parents of this girl are awarded SOMETHING, even the smallest award, it will show the kids and all of the people involved that it's wrong to treat people that way because their lifestyle is different.

Everything needs to be made example of, otherwise we'll be repeating Mathew Shepard all over again.

 

[teresafannin]

Teasing is not going to cause anyone to commit suicide, whether they are Christian, Wiccan, Jewish or any other religion. It hurts and can hurt deeply. It can be a part of the problem, but it is not the only problem. There are so many other factors that come into a person's life. These kids have a lot of other problems that they need to deal with. Unfortunately, too many adults have the "kids will be kids" attitude & it is a part of growing up. Blaming a song or teasing is the easy way out. Yes, the school should have done more, but the core problems are in the homes. These kids who are bullies tend to have bullies for parents & home is where they learn too many of these behaviors. Too many parents are so absorbed in their own lives, they haven't a clue that something is wrong until the child does something desparate. There is a reason a lot of my son's friends still come to me when they have a problem, I don't judge them & I try to give good solid advice. This is a terrible tragedy & my heart breaks for this family. I know better than anyone what it is like to lose a child.


To Todd, EVERY religion thinks they are right & they are the best. Quite honestly, I would rather deal with Mormons than Baptists any day of the week. My son was murdered in a Baptist church, but because we are not members there, they don't give a damn about what I go through unless it makes for a good news story to show how wonderfuly they are. Of all the churches in DFW & there are many, the Baptist churches have provided me the LEAST support. simply because I am not a member. The Mormons I know are much more honest than any Baptist church, but that is a subject for another time. At least in my part of the world, the Baptists are all about money & if you haven't got it, they don't want you.

Sorry for the rant, but this has been a rough couple of days for me. We are nearing the 2 year anniversary of my son's death & NO ONE from the church has called me since Christmas to see how I am doing-compassionate, aren't they?

 

[Angel]

Screw the fact that this is way off topic, but *hugs teresafannin*

 

[Mischka]

Teresafannin, my heart goes out to you. I have never experienced anything close to the magnitude of your loss, but I will keep you in my thoughts as this somber anniversary approaches.

I do understand about the DFW area Baptists. I went to high school in the area, and was told countless times that I was headed directly to hell because I was an atheist. I even had entire youth groups show up at my door to reinforce the message. Fortunate for me, I was more assertive (and not as depressed?) as the young Wiccan girl of this thread. I was able to stand up to them and tell them I would enjoy hell if it meant I could get away from them.

 

[BlondGirl]

<<<"
I can't agree with you here, the school has a duty to act as the parent while the child is in their care,
">>>

Hhhmmm... Since when is it the government's and taxpayers' jobs to raise your children?

If this child was suicidal, her mother would have picked up on the depression that proceded the event IF SHE HAD BEEN INVOLVED.
If this child was in such a fucked up environment and her mother kept sending her back into it, that would be no different than a mother telling her daughter to go back to the husband that physically and mentally abuses her.

AND

It seem that the person who chose suicide is not going to be considered to be a person at all, right? Obviously she must have been an inanimate object since everyone is ignoring the fact that she CHOOSE this method of problem resolution.

................Blondgirl
Who has a history of depression and suicide attempts
AND
Who takes full responsibility for the raising of my son and never mooches off the taxpayer using the title of Public "School"
(The above quote sounds like we are referring to a babysitter--and is what makes most of the taxpayer funded schools so ineffective.)