Parents speak out after son's suicide at elite boarding school
On the one-year anniversary of a student's death, an elite boarding school in New Jersey released a statement publicly admitting its failure.
The Lawrenceville School released the document, entitled Anniversary statement, acknowledging that it failed to protect student Jack Reid, who died by suicide in 2022, from bullying, saying it "fell tragically short" in Jack's case. Jack was 17 at the time.
Elizabeth and Bill Reid, Jack's parents, spoke to "Good Morning America" about their son's suicide after bullying at The Lawrenceville School.
"We were well aware of what was going on and we were encouraging him. He advocated for himself. He talked to the school. He talked to his friends. We were meant to see him the next morning and the last words we spoke to him about were, 'Dad, I'm doing better. I love you,'" Bill Reid recalled.
Elizabeth Reid added that Jack's bullying was aggravated by social media.
"I think everyone in this room probably know someone who was bullied as a child and you do suffer the scars of that and then have that for the rest of your life. But I think that what we've realized from our situation, is that it can lead to death," Elizabeth Reid said. "This is a very serious issue. And the internet absolutely makes it even much worse for kids today.'
The school said in its statement that it had been made aware of the bullying and "cruel behavior" toward Jack and “there were steps that the school should have taken in hindsight and did not.” It promised to make changes and do better.
"Bullying and unkind behavior, and actions taken or not taken by the school, likely contributed to Jack's death," read part of the statement posted by The Lawrenceville School on April 30.
The statement was required as part of a settlement deal with the family of Jack Reid, who had filed a lawsuit against the school.
Bill Reid said they are satisfied the school released a statement acknowledging they could have done more in Jack's case.
"We're very gratified by the admission of the school that there are things they could have done and should have done including the intervention of adults in certain circumstances," Bill Reid said. "We think that's a very courageous admission and we hope other institutions follow their lead."
In the spring of 2021, an untrue rumor spread across The Lawrenceville School campus that Jack, who was a junior in high school at the time, had committed sexual assault by kissing a girl. Then, in September 2021, a false claim that Jack was a rapist was posted anonymously to a nationwide student app, according to a December 2022 letter from the school's board of trustees to the school community, which was obtained by ABC.
The school reportedly investigated the rumors and found them false, but never publicly shared the results or told Jack, in the letter.
On April 30, 2022, a student, who was disciplined for bullying Jack, was expelled from the school for other reasons, however, the school admitted that the student was allowed to return “largely unsupervised” to the dorm where Jack lived, according to the statement. Students gathered with the expelled student and reportedly began bullying Jack, according to the statement released by the school. Later that night, he died by suicide, according to the statement from the school.
"Bullying has extraordinary impact on kids. It really doesn't benefit anyone. One of the evolving, most significant risk factors for youth in America is the internet and social media," Richard Lieberman, a lead suicide prevention consultant for the Los Angeles County Office of Education, told "GMA."
The Lawrenceville School announced that it will create policies around spotting and stopping bullying and has since agreed to contribute to multiple nonprofits focused on bullying and suicide prevention per the school's latest statement.
"Jack was universally regarded as an extremely kind and good-hearted young man, with an unwavering sense of social and civic responsibility and a bright future. We continue to mourn this loss," the school said in part of the statement.
It added, "We acknowledge that more should have been done to protect Jack."
Since Jack's death, Elizabeth and Bill Reid have started The Jack Reid Foundation in honor of their son and hope to see an expansion of anti-bullying policies in all schools.
"We're starting the Jack Reid Foundation for the education and prevention of bullying and cyberbullying. And although our lives feel completely destroyed, you lose a child, you look around at the rubble and you say, 'What can I make out of this?' I know Jack would want to save other children and that's what we want to try to do," Elizabeth Reid said.
"One of the things we've learned is that in many states, there are established anti-bullying rules. They don't usually govern private institutions, charter schools, parochial schools. That's something we'd like to change across the board," Bill Reid added.
For other families who may be concerned about their children experiencing bullying, the Reids say to consistently communicate with kids and their schools.
"I think the first thing is stay in contact with your kids. Take everything seriously. Communicate with the school," Elizabeth Reid said.
If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, substance use or other mental health crises, please call or text 988. You will reach a trained crisis counselor for free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also go to 988lifeline.org or dial the current toll free number 800-273-8255 [TALK].
