John Halligan Speaks to Lindy Middle Schoolers

Students at Lindenhurst Middle School participated in a moving assembly, led by John Halligan. Halligan’s son, Ryan, committed suicide at the age of 13 in 2003, after being bullied by classmates both at school and via the Internet. Since then, Halligan has been outspoken about the need for more education and prevention of bullying, cyberbullying and teen suicide.

Halligan spoke openly about the tragedy with Lindenhurst students, including the events leading up to it.  He believes that holding teens accountable for their behavior online is vital to stopping the kind of cyberbullying that his son suffered.

After every presentation that Halligan leads, he hopes students will gain awareness of how they speak to others. He also hopes to influence states to pass laws on bully prevention.

“If one student benefits from hearing John Halligan’s story, then the presentation was successful,” explained Lindenhurst Middle School Administrative Assistant for Discipline Patricia Natale.

Information provided courtesy Carol Hauser/Syntax.