Radio Free High School: current news

School Bullying Drove Girl (15) to Take Her Own Life -- Jan. 22, 2010. -- South Hadley, Massachusetts, USA. -- 15-year-old Phoebe Prince, whose family had recently moved from Ireland to the U.S., killed herself after being cyberbullied by schoolmates. Article by Kevin Doyle for the Herald. See also Jan. 21st's Bullying Preceded Student's Death, by Sandra E. Constantine for the Republican, Jan. 22nd's Bullying May Have Led to Death of S. Hadley Student, web-published by WHDH, Jan. 18th's Bullying May Have Pushed Teen to Suicide, by WSHM, Jan. 15th's South Hadley High School Students Conduct Vigil..., by Sandra Constantine for the Republican, and Jan. 23rd's op-ed piece, Helping Teens, by Catherine Baum for the Daily Hampshire Gazette.

Woman Headbutted 14-year-old "Bully" -- Jan. 21, 2010 -- Edinburgh, Scotland, U.K. -- A woman who got out of her car and punched a student said she did so because the student had been bullying others. The woman has been fined 400 pounds. Article web-published by the BBC.

Crivitz HS Still Shocked Over Threat.... -- Jan. 21, 2010. -- Crivitz, Wisconsin, USA. -- A 17-year-old boy was arrested after texting one of his bullies with a threatening message. Article web-published by WTAQ.

Boy Killed Himself After Years of Hell from School Bullies -- Jan. 20, 2010. -- Braintree, Essex, U.K. -- 13-year-old Harry Robinson hanged himself after being bullied. Article by David Pilditch for the Express. See also Jan. 19th's Bullied Lad, 13, Hangs Himself, web-published by the Sun.

Teen Stabs Classmate to Stop Bullying -- Jan. 18, 2010. -- Aarhus, Denmark. -- A 15-year-old girl stabbed her bully in the back. Article web-published by the Copenhagen Post.

U.S. Justice Department Intervenes in gay Mohawk Teen's Lawsuit -- Jan. 16, 2010. -- Utica, New York, USA. -- A 14-year-old gay student is suing his school system for failing to protect him from bullies. Article by Emerson Clarridge for the Observer-Dispatch. See also Jan. 16th's Department of Justice Investigating Mohawk School District, by Gary Liberatore for WKTV, Jan. 16th's Shock: Obama's DoJ Jumps Into Effeminate Teen Boy's School Bullying Case, web-published by Queerty, and Aug. 20, 2009's Mohawk Residents React to Lawsuit Against School, by Emma Wright for WKTV.

Student Arrested After Teen Beating -- Jan. 15, 2010. -- Fort Defiance, Virginia, USA. -- The victim's nose and eye socket were broken. Article by Brad Zinn for the News Leader. See also Jan 15th's Victim Speaks Out After Bullying Turns Into a Felony, by Sarah Sager for WHSV.

School Bullying at Heart of Potential Lawsuit -- Jan. 12, 2010. -- Palm Beach County, Florida. -- A boy was beaten up on his way to band class. Article web-published by WPTV.

Pacific Middle School Student Faces Gun Charges -- Jan. 7, 2010. -- Clark County, Washington, USA. -- A 12-year-old brought a gun to school to intimidate his bully. Article by Howard Buck for the Columbian.

Huntley Project Football Players Charged with Assault -- -- Jan. 6, 2010 -- Billings, Montana, USA. -- Two football players struck a younger player with a piece of wood. Article by Rob Rogers and Matthew Brown for the Billings Gazette. See also Jan. 6th's Two High School Athletes Face Felony Charges..., web-published by USA Today, Dec. 23rd's Two Huntley Football Players Expelled for "Hazing", web-published by the Great Falls Tribune, and Dec. 23rd's 2 Athletes Expelled from Project School, by Rob Rogers for the Billings Gazette.

"Bullied" for 14 Years -- Jan. 4, 2010. -- Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. -- A mentally handicapped woman, now 27, has sued her school for failing to protect her from bullies. Article web-published by the Advertiser.

Students, Coaches Exonerated in Hazing Incident -- Dec. 27, 2009. -- August 19, 2009. -- Wilson, New York, USA. -- Three baseball players hazed teammates on a team bus. Article web-published by the Niagara Gazette. See also the Raven Days' RFHS Special Section, Wilson Hazing.

Seventh Grader Brought Weapons to Hamilton School -- Dec. 16, 2009. -- Hamilton, Ohio, USA. -- A boy who had been recently bullied brought two air guns, eleven knives, and a blackjack to school. Article web-published by WKRC.

Bullied Student Uses Rat Poison for Revenge -- Dec. 10, 2009. -- Kunming, China. -- A 12-year-old bullied student put rat poison in his bullies' lunch. Article web-published by Asia One.

Parents Face School System About Bullying -- Dec. 8, 2009. -- Chatsworth, Georgia, USA. -- 17-year-old Tyler Long killed himself Oct. 17, 2009 after being relentlessly bullied. Now his parents are planning to sue his school system. Article by Karen Zatkulak for WTVC. See also Dec. 8th's Murray School System Official..., by Mark Millican for the Daily Citizen,, Dec. 5th's Teen's Parents Preparing to Sue..., by Amanda Shropshire for WTVC, Nov. 21st's Family on Mission to Stop School Bullying, by Rachel Brown for the Daily Citizen, Nov. 17th's Bullying and Suicide -- a Expert's Take, by Will Carr for WTVC, Nov. 17th's Did Bullying Lead Teen to Suicide?" by Will Carr for WTVC, Nov. 16th's No Criminal Charges in Bullying Case, by Rachel Brown for the Daily Citizen, Nov. 13th's Chatsworth Police Investigating Bullying Allegations After Student's Suicide, by Rachel Brown for the Daily Citizen, and Nov. 13th's Murray County Teen Suicide, web-published by WRCB.

Students Nabbed for Bullying Redheads -- Dec. 8, 2009. -- Calabasas, California, USA. -- Nine junior high school students punched and harassed redheaded schoolmates on Nov. 20th. See also Nov. 26th's Middle School Students Attacked for Being Red-Haired, by Ingrid Bergquist for the Celebrity Cafe,, and Nov. 26th's Seven Middle School Students Attacked for Being "Gingers," by Monica Stern-Morales for the Celebrity Cafe..

Injured Boy's Parents Sue Bully -- Nov. 25, 2009. -- Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. -- A bully beat up a schoolmate, injuring the victim's jaw. Now the victim's parents are suing the bully. Article by Lana Groves for the Deseret News.

Students Cited for "Kick a Jew Day" -- Nov. 24, 2009 -- Naples, Florida, USA. -- Ten students declared Nov. 19th "Kick a Jew Day" and kicked Jewish schoolmates. Article web-published by UPI. See also Nov. 23rd's 10 North Naples Middle Students Suspended..., by Katherine Albers for the Naples Sun-Times.

Seeing Red About Bullying -- Nov. 24, 2009 -- Burlington, Ontario, Canada. -- 24 students attacked red-headed classmates on Nov. 20th. Editorial by Lee Prokaska for the Hamilton Spectator.

School Bullying Scars Victim and Family Deeply -- Nov. 24, 2009. -- Jakarta, Indonesia. -- A 16-year-old was hospitalized after being beaten up by seniors for walking down a "senior corridor." Article by Hasyim Widhiarto for the Jakarta Post. See also Nov. 9th's See also Nov. 9th's School Suspends 14 Students for Bullying Junior, by Hasyim Widhiarto for the Jakarta Post, Nov. 9th's Schools, Police Must Act on Bullying Case, by Hasyim Widhiarto for the Jakarta Post, Nov. 6th's Jakarta High School Beating Throws Spotlight on Bullies, web-published by the Jakarta Globe, and Nov. 16th's Bullying at Schools an Issue that Makes Parents Jitter, web-published by the Jakarta Post.

Montgomery Superintendent Defends Suspensions.... -- Nov. 19, 2009. -- Montgomery County, Kentucky, USA. -- Basketball players hazed younger students. Article by Greg Kocher for the Lexington Herald-Leader. See also Nov. 17th's Middle School Hazing Incident, web-published by WTVQ.

Another Sexual Assault Accusation Made Against Walker Middle School -- Nov. 15, 2009. -- Tampa, Florida, USA. -- A 13-year-old girl was molested by other students on a school bus. Article by Jessica Vander Velde for the St. Petersburg Times.

Hazing Alleged at Middle School -- Nov. 13, 2009. -- Lexington, Kentucky, USA. -- Middle school basketball players sexually hazed teammates. Article by Wendy Enneking for WKYT.

Court Approves Settlement in Harassment School Case -- Nov. 10, 2009. -- Richmond, Missouri, USA. -- Heather Hurshman, mother of a 16-year-old bullied student, has settled for $25,000 in a court case against her son's school district. The boy was stabbed in the arm with a pencil; the wound festered, and eventually surgery was required. Article by Sean Comer for the Daily News Online.

Boy's Suicide is Lesson for Bullies -- Oct. 30, 2009. -- Lismore, Australia. -- 14-year-old Alex Wildman killed himself July 25th after being bullied at school. AAP article by Tony Bartlett, web-published by the Sydney Morning Herald. See also Raven Days' RFHS Special Section, Alex Wildman's Death.

Hinkley Student: Soccer Team Harrassment was Regular Occurrence -- Oct. 22, 2009. -- Aurora, Colorado, USA. -- Soccer players sexually hazed a teammate. Article by Aaron Cole for the Aurora Sentinel. See also Oct. 21st's Hinkley Student: District is Withholding Bus Video, by Aaron Cole for the Aurora Sentinel.

Police: Teen was Planning Columbine-Style Attack -- Oct. 21, 2009. -- Monroe, New York, USA. -- The 15-year-old bullied student had been making molotov cocktails. Article by Ida Siegal for WNBC.

Lawsuit Filed in 2008 Lasater Suicide at Vasquez High -- Oct.19, 2009. -- Santa Clarita, California, USA. -- 14-year-old Jeremiah Lasater killed himself at school on October 20, 2008. Now his family is suing his school for failing to protect him from bullying. Article by Brian Charles for the Signal.

Willard Wrestlers Sentenced for Bullying -- Oct. 17, 2009. -- Norwalk, Ohio, USA. -- Two wrestlers sexually hazed a teammate. Article by Cory Frolick for the Sandusky Register. See also Willard Ex-Wrestler Apologizes..., by Cary Ashby for the Norwalk Reflector, and Sept. 19th's Former Willar Wrestler Punished, by Cary Ashby for the Norwalk Reflector.

Virginia Finds South County Failed Student with Disabilities -- Oct. 15, 2009. -- Fairfax, Virginia, USA. -- The Virginia Education Department has agreed that a Fairfax school did not adequately protect a special education student from being bullied. Article by Julia O'Donoghue for the Vienna Connection.

Dad Fined for Belting Bullies -- Oct. 14, 2009. -- Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. -- A father was fined $750 for punching a boy who had been bullying his daughter. Article by Jeremy Sollars for the Warwick Daily News. See also Oct. 14th's Mad Dad "Punched Daughter's Bully in Jaw" by Jeremy Sollars for the Brisbane Times.

Sussex School Suspends 2 Bullies -- Oct. 14, 2009. -- Sussex, New Brunswick, Canada. -- Two students have been suspended for bullying two other students. Article web-published by CBC.

Boys' Soccer Team Investigated.... -- Oct. 13, 2009. -- Aurora, Colorado, USA. -- Varsity soccer players sexually hazed JV players. Article web-published by KMGH. See also Oct. 13th's APS Investigating Hinckley Boys' Soccer Incident, by Aaron Cole for the Aurora Sentinel, and Oct. 13th's Students Suspended After Inappropriate Behavior, by Terry Jessup for CBS4.

2 Uintah Gridders Punished for "Incident" -- Oct. 11, 2009. -- Uintah County, Utah, USA. -- Football players hazed a teammate. Article by Geoff Liesik and Amy K. Stewart for the Deseret News.

School, Police Tight-Lipped Over Hazing Incident -- Oct. 9, 2009. -- Tupelo, Oklahoma, USA. -- A baseball player was assaulted by teammates. Article by Randy Mitchell and Justin Lofton for the Ada Evening News. See also Oct. 9th's Hazing Allegations Surround Tupelo High School Baseball Team, web-published by KTEN.

Beloit Student Sentenced for Hazing Incident -- Oct. 9, 2009. -- Beloit, Kansas, USA. -- A football player sexually hazed a teammate. Article web-published by KSN. See also Oct. 8th's Student Sentenced to Probation in Beloit Hazing Incident, by Tim Unruh for the Salina Journal, Sept. 10's Accused Beloit Player Pleads Guilty, by David Clouston for the Salina Journal, Sept. 10's Beloit Football Player Pleads Guilty to Hazing, by Melody Pettit for KSCW, Sept. 4th's Beloit Football Player to be Charged, by Tim Unruh for the Salina Journal, and Sept. 3rd's Beloit Hazing Probed, web-published by the Salina Journal.

Court Ruling Appealed in School Bullying Case -- Oct. 7, 2009. -- Fair Haven, Vermont, USA. -- A father is suing his bullied sons' school system. Article by Gordon Dritschilo for the Rutland Herald. See also Aug. 15th's School Wins Bullying Lawsuit, by Gordon Dritschilo for the Rutland Herald.

Friends of Suspect in School Killing Fight Media -- Oct. 7, 2009. -- Gainesville, Florida, USA. -- A 17-year-old fatally stabbed another student, who had allegedly been bullying him. Article web-published by the Gainesville Sun.

Hazing Students Step Forward -- Millburn, New Jersey, USA. -- Oct. 6, 2009. -- Senior athletes hazed new freshmen. Article by Tina Kelley for the New York Times' Millburn Local. See also Raven Days' RFHS Special Section, Millburn Hazing.

Football Players Involved in Hazing -- Sept. 29, 2009. -- Football players hazed a teammate. Brief and very vague article, by the Indiana Gazette.

NAACP Reviews Expulsions of Bellevue West Students -- Sept. 25, 2009. -- Belleville, Illinois, USA. -- Two students beat up a schoolmate on their school bus and the beating was caught on camera. Article by Rickeena J. Richards for the News-Democrat.. See also Sept. 23rd's School Bullies Expelled and Charged, by Joe Harris for Courthouse News, and Sept. 22nd's Two Students in School Bus Beating Expelled, by UPI.

Six Teens Cited for "Hazing" Incident at Madison West -- Sept. 22, 2009. -- Madison, Wisconsin, USA. -- Upperclassmen hazed freshmen. Article by WKOW.

A Boy Ends Up in a Hospital after School Bullying -- Sept. 18, 2009. -- Karlovac, Croatia. -- A 13-year-old boy was seriously injured by two schoolmates during recess. Article web-published by Javno.

Bully Girls Spark Judge to Question School System -- Sept. 11, 2009. -- Hong Kong, China. -- In May, 2009, six girls beat up a schoolmate and burned her with cigarette butts after the victim told teachers that one of them might know something about a missing cell phone. They have been put on probation by a judge. Article by Patsy Moy for the Standard.

Students Charged in Hazing -- Sept. 11, 2009. -- Burlington, Ontario, Canada. -- Four Grade 9 students were paddled on their way home from school by upperclassmen. Article by Rachel de Lazzer for the Hamilton Spectator.. See also Sept. 10th's 2 Teens Charged After Hazing Paddling, by Thandiwe Vela for the Toronto Star.

Protests Over School Fight Expulsion -- Sept. 9, 2009. -- Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. -- On August 19th, 60 girls got into a fight at lunchtime. Five of them were expelled. One of those five says she was only defending her little sister, who was being bullied by other students. Article by Miki Perkins for the Age.

Bullied Pupil, 16, Hanged Himself.... -- Sept. 7, 2009. -- Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. -- 16-year-old Michael Miller hanged himself August 26th. He had often been bullied by other students. Article by Chris Brooke for the Daily Mail. See also Sept. 7th's Bullied Teenager Killed Himself Day Before GSCE Results, web-published by the Telegraph.

Miss. Man: Granddaughter Reacted to Bullying -- Sept. 4, 2009. -- Pickens, Mississippi, USA. -- A 14-year-old bullied girl brandished a gun on her school bus. Article by Chris Joyner for USA Today.. See also Sept. 3rd's Football Star Praised for Disarming Girl on School Bus, by Chris Joyner for USA Today.

Teen Charged with Assault in Alleged Hazing Incident -- Sept. 3, 2009. -- Guelph, Ontario, Canada. -- A football player hazed a teammate. Article by Greg Layson for the Guelph Mercury.

Investigations Continue into Schoolboy's Death -- Sept. 2, 2009. -- Mullumbimby, New South Wales, Australia. -- 15-year-old Jai Morcom was fatally injured during a brawl at school. Article web-published by ABC. See also Aug. 31st's Schoolyard Death, by Charlotte Glennie for ABC, August 31st's Dead Teen "Wasn't Part of School Fight", by Tony Bartlett for the Brisbane Times, August 31st's Students Protest Over School Brawl Death, web-published by ABC, August 31st's Students Demand Principal's Sacking..., by Joel Gibson and Saffron Howden for the Brisbane Times, and August 30th's Aussie Teen Dies After Schoolyard Violence, by Caroline Marcus and Les Kennedy for the Sun-Herald, web-published by Stuff.co.nz.

Family of Boy who Shot Himself Sues School.... -- Daniel Mendez fatally shot himself in May after being bullied. Article by Jonathan Volzke for the San Clemente Times.

DeKalb Bullying Report Protested -- August 28, 2009. -- Atlanta, Georgia, USA. -- 11-year-old Jaheem Herrera hanged himself after relentless bullying. Now his mother is suing his school system. Article by Jonathan Shapiro for WABE. See also Raven Days' RFHS Special Section, Jaheem Herrera's Death.

Parents Sued for School Fees after Bullying Dispute -- August 27, 2009. -- Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. -- Grant and Gloria Mears have refused to pay their daughter's private school fees as a way of protesting the bullying she experienced there. Now the school is suing them to collect the money. Article by Bellinda Kontominas for the Sydney Morning Herald.

Miller Players Disciplined for Hazing -- August 27, 2009. -- Fontana, California, USA. -- Football players hazed new teammates. Article by John Murphy for the Press-Enterprise..

Two Students Punished in Hazing Incident -- August 24, 2009. -- Clute, Texas, USA. -- New band members were sexually hazed. Article by Katlynn Lanham for the Facts. See also August 14th's Alleged School Band Hazing at Brazoswood, by Gene Apodaca for KTRK.

School Bullying Trial Delayed -- August 21, 2009. -- Johannesburg, South Africa. -- The trial of 12 students accused of paddling new pupils has been postponed. Article web-published by the Star.

Sioux City Schools Cleared in Bullying Lawsuit -- August 20, 2009. -- Sioux City, Iowa, USA. -- The father of two high school students has lost his case against his bullied children's school system. Article web-published by KTIV.

Suit Blames School.... -- August 20, 2009. -- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. -- A mother is suing her anorexic daughter's school system for allowing other students to taunt her for "being fat." Article by Debra Cassens Weiss for the ABA Journal. See also Aug. 20th's Bullies Drive Girl to Anorexia, Says Lawsuit, by Susan Donaldson James for ABC.

Family of Paralyzed Student Sues School -- August 18, 2009. -- Chicago, Illinois, USA. -- The family of a 15-year-old who was bullied into diving into shallow water are suing his school. Article by Ben Bradley for WLS. See also Aug. 17th's St. Ignatius Sued for Student Pool Injury, by the Chicago Sun-Times, web-published by WBBM.

Schools Start Anti-Bully Training as Walker Suspects Appear in Court -- August 18, 2009. -- Tampa, Florida, USA. -- Four middle school flag football players sexually assaulted a teammate. Article by Krista Klaus for WFLA. See also Raven Days' RFHS Special Section, Tampa Hazing

School Bullies Hospitalized Disabled Child -- August 12, 2009. -- Beaumont, Texas, USA. -- Parents are suing their son's school system for allowing him to be beaten up by schoolmates. Article by Jeremy Choate for the Courthouse News Service.

Hazing Case Closed, Dunbar Principal Says -- Football players hazed a teammate. Article by Jim Warren for the Lexington Herald-Leader. See also August 6th's Five Dismissed from Dunbar Football Team for Hazing, also by Jim Warren for the Lexington Herald-Leader,.

Former Pupil Sues Over School Bullying -- August 7, 2009. -- Fife, Scotland, U.K. -- Rhona Wands is suing her school system for failure to protect her from being bullied. Article by Paul Thornton for Deadline Scotland.

Students Strip Class VI Girl in Orissa School -- August 3, 2009. -- Cuttack, India. -- A girl was hazed by her dormmates at boarding school. Article web-published by the Times of India.

All original material on the Raven Days website, except the material appearing in the sections Words Out of Shadow and Lighting the Way, © 1999-2010 by its creator and maintainer, Meredith Minter Dixon.. Copyright to the articles in the sectionsWords Out of Shadow and Lighting the Way is retained by their authors. Counter: 29588