Unfinished Lives

Remembering LGBT Hate Crime Victims

Family of Bullying Victim Sues Joshua (TX) ISD

Jon Carmichael, 13-year-old bullying victim who was told "No one cares if you live or die."

Joshua, Texas – A year after their 13 year-old son, Jon Carmichael, succumbed to bullying and hanged himself in his family’s barn, Jon’s parents are suing the Joshua Independent School District in federal court.  According to the Dallas Voice, the suit contends that R.C. Loflin Middle School officials covered up months of cruel bullying victimizing their son, targeting the youth because he was smaller than his classmates, and was perceived to be weak.  The bullying Jon suffered got so far out of hand that just before he took his own life, he was forced to strip naked, was tied up, and was then crammed into a trash can. The attack was video taped, and put up on YouTube, but a school official ordered it to be taken down, and did not report the brutal bullying attack to anyone else, according to the allegations in the lawsuit. Other incidents included Jon being being tossed into a dumpster.  On the day Jon took his life, the lawsuit alleges that he told a female classmate he was going home to kill himself, and she responded by saying that he should go ahead and do it, since no one cared whether he lived or died.  The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that the complaintants’ attorney, Martin Cirkiel of Round Rock, accuses the school system of more than neglecting to enforce school policies like never leaving children unsupervised in gym class, but of “an actual practice and custom of looking the other way.” The suit is asking for damages compensation for young Carmichael’s estate and heirs.  The Superintendent of the Joshua School District said that he would not comment on the suit, since he had not had the chance to read it yet.  Carmichael’s family were among the many who converged on Austin last week to call upon the Legislature for a comprehensive state law banning bullying in Texas schools.  Joshua is a town of 4,500 near Cleburne, Texas, south of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.  The Joshua Independent School District has eight campuses, one of which is the Loflin Middle School.

March 29, 2011 - Posted by | Anglo Americans, Blame the victim, Bullying in schools, Hanging, harassment, Hate Crimes, Law and Order, Legislation, Social Justice Advocacy, Texas | , , , , , , , , ,

3 Comments

  1. Dr Sprinkle-

    The United Christian Church of Austin is showing the SPLC’s documentary “Bullied” this Sunday at 6PM. I hope you can make it.

    Comment by Stacy | March 29, 2011

  2. Will this ever stop??? I’m tired of hearing of this Teen and that Teen was driven to suicide by Bullying, or that in the Bullying the Teen was killed.

    The Ultra-Conservatives and the Religious Right needs to STOP preaching this Hatred— where Teens feel they have no other alternative— or where the Teens are bashed to death, merely because they ‘appear to be’ Gay!

    We who know the Reality of the Truth that we are created by GOD with a specific Gender that we love— male and male, female and female, male and female or even those who love both sexes— should be allowed to live peaceably together, and NOT be Bullyed about it.

    Comment by Chester Thompson | March 30, 2011

  3. Public Schools only motivated by the Almighty Dollar,don”t give a Rat A_ _,about your Kids!!!Mixing Evil Kids,with good Kids is a BAD Ideal!

    Comment by chrystal026 | June 25, 2014


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