Austin Pendergrass suicide death: Wendell Middle school boy kill self on first day of school after ongoing bullying. Did school officials fail a young teen boy?
A 13 year old boy who took his own life upon the first day of the new school year at a North Carolina middle school earlier this week, did so after being mercilessly bullied according to the teen’s mother.
Austin Pendergrass, 13, took his own life in a bathroom at Wendell Middle School on Tuesday on his first day of eighth-grade.
He was found dead by two students, prompting school officials to send everyone home, claiming there was a ‘medical crisis.’
Pendergrass’ family has now confirmed he died of suicide after years of bullying.
‘The signs were there, but the bullying it was so bad,’ the child’s mother, Jessica Pendergrass told WNCN, revealing her son had been bullied since he was in sixth-grade.
What more could have been done for a bullied middle school boy?
‘It was so bad last year with kids just taunting him, hurting him,’ said family friend Jalia Harris during a vigil for the boy, Wednesday night.
He was able to enjoy the summer, his mom told WRAL, but as soon as he went back to school on Tuesday, the bullying started again.
‘It’s sad for us,’ Harris said, ‘but this should be an eye-opener for everyone.’
‘Just teach your kids to be kind, because kids can be so cruel,’ Jessica Pendergrass added.
‘I just wish Austin knew all these people were here to support [him],’ his mother told WRAL. ‘I just wish he didn’t feel so alone.’
Those who knew Pendergrass described him at the vigil as a smart boy who loved to tell dad jokes.
‘Austin, he was so, so smart, he was so sweet,’ Jessica Pendergrass said. ‘He’d always come to the car when I pulled up [saying] “Mom you need help bringing anything in?”
Awareness that kids can be different and should still be embraced
His aunt, Jessica Harris, also said he ‘would always pitch in and help out with doing anything,’ adding that Pendergrass ‘liked to bake with his mom and siblings.’
Pendergrass was also a member of the middle school band, and was known to care deeply for animals.
‘He loved sea turtles,’ his mom recounted. ‘He used to say “Don’t use straws because they’re bad for the turtles.”
Austin’s mom hopes her son’s death will ‘bring some awareness to other parents to check on their kids, be mean, go through their social media, go through their phones [and] find out what’s going on.’
She urged parents to ‘teach their kids to be kind to other kids, even if they’re different, and just hug your kids a little tighter.’
Pendergrass is scheduled to be buried on Friday.
Do schools bear culpability?
Austin Pendergrass’s suicide death occurred on the same day that the Wake County school board was due to receive a presentation on suicide awareness.
Of disconcert, according to North Carolina’s child fatality task force, suicide is the leading course of death between 10 year olds to 14 year olds in the state.
Following his passing, Wendell Middle School Principal Catherine Trudell said in a letter to parents that the school will provide a student services team and support team from the District Crisis center to help grieving students.
And at the school board’s Tuesday meeting, board chairwoman Lindsay Mahaffey said that ‘some of our schools are getting some unique challenges this week.’
Which is to suggest, long words but little action and accountability….?
‘I do want to lift them up and know that we’re thinking of them and holding them in our hearts,’ the school official continued according to the News and Observer.
Added school board member Heather Scott: ‘The town of Wendell will surround the school with nothing but love and support.’
And then there these comments on social media that caught this author’s attention. See what you think?
The schools are responsible for their behavior during school hours, so they need to step it up, and the bullies’ parents should be charged. I grew up in a small town where the school had NO tolerance for bullying whatsoever.
Social media responds
The school failed him. Teachers should watch for bullying, they know who is who, and keep suspending any bullies.
What a tragedy. Why wasn’t something done about the bullying???
Why would you send your child back into that environment?! As a parent, I would find a different school or homeschool to protect my child if the school district wasn’t helping.
Sue school district and parents of bullies
