A 13-Year-Old Boy Committed Suicide After His School Allegedly Did Nothing About Bullying

A 13-year-old boy committed suicide last Thursday after being relentlessly bullied — and after claiming his school did nothing to stop it. The New York Daily News reports that Daniel Fitzpatrick, who lived in Staten Island, New York, had written a letter expressing his issues with Holy Angels Catholic Academy, but never sent it.

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Fitzpatrick​ was a sensitive kid who was often bullied about his weight and grades. In his letter, he said that his school life started well, but then he moved and came back, and everything changed. Kids who used to be his friends bullied him both physically and emotionally. And when he asked his teachers and principal for help, only one teacher helped him, and the effects didn't last long. "I gave up," he wrote. "I begged and pleaded [for help]." His parents said these boys threw balls at him during gym class, and a teacher called him "lazy" in front of everyone.

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Fitzpatrick​'s family told the New York Post that the school put the entire group of boys in one room to address what happened. "How do you conduct an interview with the victim and his attacker in the same room?" his mom, Maureen, told the newspaper. "If he said what happened, it would come back to him tenfold." They also claim the school sent child welfare workers to investigate the family instead of going after the bullies; when they arrived, Fitzpatrick​ reportedly told them, "I just want a friend," and the investigation didn't find anything against his parents. ​His grades had suffered, and the school had suggested he repeat seventh grade at another school. ​

His father, also named Daniel Fitzpatrick, spoke about about his son's death on Facebook. "No parent should have to bury their child," he said, choking back tears. "No child should have to go through what my son went through." He said that he and his son went to the school to complain about bullying, and all they got was, "He'll be fine … you have to try harder, Danny."

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"In light of this tragedy we are reexamining all bullying prevention policies and training," Brooklyn/Queens diocese spokeswoman Carolyn Erstad told the newspaper. "The principal, teachers, and staff of Holy Angels Catholic Academy are heartbroken over the loss of Danny Fitzpatrick. We take the issue of bullying very seriously and address every incident that is brought to our attention."

According to the Daily News, Erstad explained that the school did everything it could to stop the bullying. Fitzpatrick​ received three counseling sessions at school, which was the maximum he could receive without parental consent. "When the counselor reached out to Danny's parents to get consent for continued counseling, the parents refused," she said. The family says they sought professional help instead.

Fitzpatrick​'s family has started a GoFundMe account to raise money for funeral expenses. It has raised more than $100,000 in two days, and only had a goal of $10,000. "We want to give Daniel a proper memorial, as well as shine a bright light on the bullying that killed him," his sister, Eileen, wrote on the site. "We have every intention to help other families never go through what we are going through." They will donate any extra funds to charities that fight bullying and promote suicide awareness.

Via.