Bullied To Death: Denver Boy, 9, Kills Self After Coming Out

DENVER, CO – Just four days into the school year, a Denver boy, age 9, took his own life in his home Thursday. His mother said he was bullied at school because he said he was gay.

Leia Pierce said her son Jamel Myles started fourth grade at Joe Shoemaker Elementary School on Monday.

Jamel's grandmother has started a GoFundMe account to raise funds towards Jamel's funeral expenses.

Over the summer, Jamel told her he was gay, his mother told KDVR-TV.

"[H]e looked so scared when he told me. He was like, 'Mom I’m gay.' And I thought he was playing, so I looked back because I was driving, and he was all curled up, so scared. And I said, I still love you," Pierce told the station.

Pierce said her son wanted to tell his friends the school at 3333 S. Havana St. because he was "proud."

But the reaction among other students was not what he was expecting. "My son told my oldest daughter the kids at school told him to kill himself. I’m just sad he didn’t come to me," Pierce said. "...I’m so upset that he thought that was his option."

Grandmother Jacque Miller said on GoFundMe Jamel's joyous life needed to be remembered by his friends:

I want you to speak on treating each other with kindness and compassion, We want justice for Jamel, the only way to get that is to touch peoples hearts, and tell them if we love more it will be harder to hate. When you speak of Jamel speak with the same compassion he had. He wanted everyone to feel loved cause His mommy taught all her kids we are all the same and Jamel treated people as equals because he was taught love.

Jamel was found dead in the family's Denver home. The Denver Medical Examiner confirmed Monday that Jamel was taken to Swedish Memorial Hospital Aug. 23 from his home in the 9000 block of East Girard Avenue and pronounced dead. The office said the manner of death was suicide.

Principal Christine Fleming sent home a letter to parents Friday.

Related: Letter to Denver School Parents From DPS Superintendent

Additionally, "the principal at Shoemaker met with her team [Monday] morning to discuss this situation and to share with them the supports that are available for students, families and educators," said Will Jones, director of communications for Denver Public Schools in an email to Patch.

The district said DPS crisis team members – DPS school psychologists and social workers from across the district – are "on hand to provide social-emotional support to the students." Shoemaker's staff will also receive support from a DPS employee assistance program, Jones said.

"Shoemaker has set up a room for families who come to the school with questions. There are crisis team members and school staff there to work with families. Families who call the school are also being offered similar supports," Jones added.

The district issued a statement Monday afternoon:

Our deepest sympathies go out to the family of the student who passed away and to the entire Shoemaker community. We are very saddened by this tragic loss of one of our kids.

At DPS, we are deeply committed to ensuring that all members of the school community are treated with dignity and respect, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or transgender status. It is critical that our students receive all the supports they need to learn and thrive in a safe and welcoming environment. Our formal policies and practices reflect this commitment to ensuring that our LGBTQ+ students can pursue their education with dignity -- from policies and training to prevent and stop bullying to formal policies and guidance materials that fully respect gender identity (including use of preferred pronouns and restrooms).

Our priority right now is to help all students and adults with the grief they are experiencing and to better understand all the facts surrounding this tragic loss.

Initially, the school did not tell students about the death directly last week, but this week, Jones said fourth- and fifth-grade teachers at Shoemaker are "creating a space for students to share how they are feeling and to process their emotions after hearing this news. Teachers are also letting students know about the DPS crisis team members on-hand to meet their social-emotional needs."

Fourth and fifth grade teachers will "make individual calls to the families of their students at the end of the day to check on students," Jones said.

Parents who are worried that their child may be having symptoms of depression can look for early warning signs, which include:

• Having trouble with schoolwork
• Not participating in activities you used to enjoy
• Sadness and hopelessness
• Lack of enthusiasm, energy or motivation
• Anger and rage
• Overreaction to criticism
• Feelings of being unable to meet expectations
• Poor self-esteem or guilt
• Problems with making decisions, lack of concentration or forgetfulness
• Restlessness and agitation
• Changes in eating or sleeping patterns
• Rebelling against parents, teachers, or other authority figures
• Suicidal thoughts or actions

If parents are worried about their child, they can take a screening survey at Mentalhealthcolorado.org.

If you need someone to talk to, call Rocky Mountain Crisis Partners at 844-493-TALK.

Shoemaker Student Death by JeanLotus on Scribd

Image via GoFundMe

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