Elite School Says Actions 'Tragically Short' After Student's Suicide

Facts

• Lawrenceville School — an elite boarding school in New Jersey — has issued an apology over the death of 17-year-old Jack Reid. The student committed suicide after enduring a year of bullying, which included allegations he was a rapist.¹
• Rumors were reportedly fabricated by peers and then said to Reid in person and shared anonymously online. Lawrenceville has said that "more should have been done" about the targeted attacks, which led Reid to take his own life last year.²
• Lawrenceville also admitted that the bullying was "brought to the attention of the School" before Reid's death. Though his parents said his experience on campus began positively, by Spring 2021 an unsubstantiated rumor that he was a rapist spread throughout the school.³
• Particular instances he endured included being gifted a rape whistle and a book about how to make friends by one of his peers as part of a "secret Santa" exchange.⁴
• In its statement — part of a negotiated settlement with Reid's parents — the institution also pledged corrective changes, such as the introduction of a new dean's role focused on mental health issues. Lead suicide prevention expert for LA's public school system, Richard Lieberman, has described Lawrenceville's acceptance of responsibility as rare and courageous, saying people needed to "talk more" about this "leading cause of death of our youth."⁵

Sources: ¹New York Post, ²Daily Mail, ³FOX News, ⁴Mirror, and ⁵New York Times.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by US News & World Report. The mental health of young people is in crisis across the world, especially at a time when adolescents are exposed to social media and spending more time online than ever before, making them more vulnerable targets of bullying and harassment. Disturbingly high proportions of teens are at risk of self-harm and are experiencing suicidal thoughts — more must be done by schools like Lawrenceville to protect potential victims and introduce new safeguarding.
• Narrative B, as provided by Scientific American. There is certainly an identifiable correlation between the painful experience of bullying and suicide risk, notably in young people. Studies suggest that bullies, along with their victims, are also more likely to think about and attempt suicide than peers not involved in bullying. If we are to improve risk identification, this nuance must play more of a role in the cultural narrative surrounding bullying. The complexities of these tragedies have been challenging for all institutions — not just Lawrenceville — to grasp.