Jaheem Herrera's Mother Wants School to Pay For Her Son's Suicide
 
 

suicide.0421

The mother of Jaheem Herrera, the 11-year-old Georgia boy who hung himself with a belt after being called gay too many times by classmates, isn't about to let anyone off the hook. Masika Bermudez plans on suing the hell out of DeKalb County School System, which she claims was well aware of the torment her son endured.

As Bermudez tells it, she repeatedly notified the school that Jaheem was the subject of anti-gay harassment at school, but administrators failed to act. "We will be asking for a substantial amount,” says her attorney Gerald Griggs, who filed "intent to sue" papers that give the district 30 days to respond; he expects the case to move forward.

And what would Bermudez do with all the money she might receive? Give a "significant majority" of it to fund the Jaheem Herrera Foundation, which would, according to Griggs, "set up educational programs that would work to eliminate bullying."

Meanwhile, last we checked District Attorney Gwen Keyes Fleming was still deciding whether this case was worthy of criminal prosecution.

 
May 14, 2009 · Link · 7 Responses
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Comments (7)

No. 1 · Dabq

Good hit them in the pocket book with a massive lawsuit and every child that has been brutalized by gay taunts and homophobia in schools should sue, that would force these lame, look the other way schools and school districts to ban the bullying and actually enforce it with actions and not just words that they don't condone it.

Its absolutely absurd that a child has to take his life to get away from the cruelty and hate that could have been stopped.

Posted: May 14, 2009 at 11:03 am
No. 2 · Sarise

Good for her. Through my teens I was bullied mercilessly and the school officials at my school did nothing. Parents leave their children in schools to learn and be protected, not harrassed to the point of suicide.

Posted: May 14, 2009 at 7:03 pm
No. 3 · jim

Honest to god, yeah it's awful what her son endured, it's awful that the school (and school system) did nothing (historically, schools DO NOTHING–we've all been there!), but why the hell didn't she pull her child OUT of school if she was so aware of how awful it truly was? Or was she unaware of her own child's mental state here? Seems as tho home schooling is an option for any sane mother, truly concerned for the safety of her child.

Posted: May 14, 2009 at 7:56 pm
No. 4 · afrolito

@jim:

I agree. She should have pulled him out of that school if she felt he was being so terribly bullied. I saw her on CNN tonight, and my heart breaks for her loss, and the obvious pain (guilt) she is enduring. Where is the father in all of this?

Posted: May 14, 2009 at 11:45 pm
No. 5 · alan brickman

anyone else think the mom had something to do with it too?…..

Posted: May 15, 2009 at 12:56 am
No. 6 · Hannah

A student shouldn't have to leave his school because he's being bullied. Schools have anti-bullying policies, they're just idiots when it comes to gay/anti-gay anything.

Posted: May 15, 2009 at 1:37 am
No. 7 · schlukitz

@Hannah:

My thoughts, exactly, Hannah. I mean, isn't that what we pay school taxes for? It's not the mother who was lax in her responsibility; it was the school that was lax in their responsibility and they should be held accountable for it instead of getting a free pass.

@alan brickman:

Would you also place the blame on the victim of a vicious rape as well?

Posted: May 16, 2009 at 1:31 pm
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