A 12-year-old boy died by suicide after he was repeatedly targeted by homophobic bullying, an inquest has found.
Riley Hadley, a former pupil at Sidmouth Community College in southwest England, was being homeschooled by his mother, Alison Holmes, due to the bullying.
She told an inquest at Exeter County Hall that her son was “afraid to go to school and the local park in fear of being bullied,” after other students had hurt him, kicked him into a road, and kicked and pushed him in the school’s corridors.
Friends of Hadley said that bullies had repeatedly told him they wished he was dead, including telling him to “do us all a favor and slit your wrists.”
Hadley had been questioning his sexuality, the inquest heard, and police interviews with almost 30 children confirmed that he was bullied because of it.
On October 15, 2019, after a discussion about Hadley potentially returning to school, he hanged himself in his room.
His mother found him unresponsive and cold to the touch, and a post mortem confirmed that he died due to asphyxia from hanging, DevonLive reports.
Holmes described her son as a “gentle, caring boy” and said he had confided to her that he thought he might be gay. Holmes said she had supported him, adding, “As he was still young I did not see it as a big concern.”
However, she made the decision to begin homeschooling him, rather than have Hadley return to school in September 2019 after the summer break, due to the bullying he was experiencing.
Holmes told the inquest that she wasn’t aware of any other issues, saying she had a “good relationship” with her son and he “would tell me if something was worrying him.”
Neither of his parents reported being aware that Hadley had considered self-harm, but his friends said that he previously threatened to harm himself — including claiming a previous hanging attempt — although they told police that they didn’t take the threats seriously.
On the day of his death, Holmes took her son for a routine doctor’s appointment, where he expressed being anxious about school.
When they returned home, she said they discussed whether he should return to school or hire a tutor to continue homeschooling, as Holmes’ work schedule meant she often had to leave him at home alone.
“He had a cry,” she said. “We talked and he seemed a bit better.”
Afterwards, Holmes left for work, leaving Hadley at home. He texted a friend around 11 a.m. saying, “I have to come back to school.” The friend asked why, but received no response.
At 4:10 p.m., Holmes came home and found Hadley in his room.
Assistant coroner Alison Longhorn told the inquest, “I am satisfied that on the balance of probability, Riley put a ligature around his neck and, in doing so, very sadly intended to take his own life.”
Longhorn spoke directly to Hadley’s brother, Jack Holmes, who had moved to Spain shortly before his death.
“It must be heartbreaking to lose someone so young in these circumstances,” she said. “I can’t imagine how difficult it has been for you all.”
A Pennsylvania school board canceled an appearance by Maulik Pancholy at a local middle school's anti-bullying assembly due to concerns over his "lifestyle."
The Cumberland Valley School District school board voted unanimously to cancel the gay actor's scheduled May 22 appearance at Mountain View Middle School in Mechanicsburg, a town of 9,000 people in the state's center, just 10 miles outside Harrisburg.
Pancholy, who played Jonathan on the hit TV show 30 Rock, Sanjay in Weeds, and voiced the character of Baljeet for Disney's Phineas & Ferb, is also an author of novels for young adults, including The Best at It, the story of a gay Indian-American boy and his experience dealing with bullying in a small Midwestern town, and Nikhil Out Loud, about a group of eighth-grade theater kids rising up against homophobia in their community.
Leo Varadkar, Ireland's youngest, first openly gay, and first multiracial prime minister, announced on March 20 that he is stepping down from office.
Varadkar resigned as leader of the Fine Gael political party and will resign as prime minister -- or taoiseach -- once a successor is named.
Standing on the steps of the Government Buildings in Dublin, the 45-year-old said he was stepping down for "personal and political" reasons, "but mainly political," reported The Guardian.
"I believe this government can be re-elected," Varadkar said. "I believe a new taoiseach will be better placed than me to achieve that -- to renew and strengthen the top team, to refocus our message and policies, and to drive implementation. After seven years in office, I am no longer the best person for that job."
Two New York men have been charged with drug possession and distribution in connection with the death of Cecilia Gentili, a prominent New York-based transgender activist.
The arrest was announced in an April 1 news release from the office of Breon Peace, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
"Cecilia Gentili, a prominent activist and leader of the New York transgender community, was tragically poisoned in her Brooklyn home from fentanyl-laced heroin," Peace said in a statement. "Fentanyl is a public health crisis. Our Office will spare no effort in the pursuit of justice for the many New Yorkers who have lost loved ones due to this lethal drug."
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