chloe
04-09-2010, 10:08 PM
April 9th, 2010
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By STEPHANIE REITZ
Associated Press Writer
SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. (AP) - Phoebe Prince, the Massachusetts high school freshman who took her own life after what prosecutors called relentless bullying by classmates, spoke to a school administrator one week before her death about a threat of physical violence, court documents reveal.
The documents, filed in connection with charges against six South Hadley High School students, raise new questions about how much school officials knew about the bullying. They also provide a glimpse into the final, tortured hours of Prince's life shortly before the 15-year-old hanged herself at home Jan. 14.
On Jan. 7, according to the documents, Prince went to a school administrator after learning that one of the defendants, Flannery Mullins, had told fellow students that she was going to "beat Phoebe up" and that she "needed to watch out at break after second block."
The documents do not reveal the official to whom Prince spoke or provide details of the conversation.
A witness who was interviewed by investigators said Prince had gone to administrators because she was "scared and wanted to go home." After the meeting, the witness said Prince returned to class, and said that no action was going to be taken and that "she was still going to get beat up."
In a recent interview, Superintendent Gus Sayer said school administrators were not aware of the bullying until Jan. 7, a week before Prince committed suicide. On that day, two teachers reported separate bullying incidents to the principal, Sayer said.
In one incident, a student walked into Prince's classroom and yelled at her. In the other, a teacher overheard several students in the cafeteria making remarks about Prince "that appeared to be threatening."
"Even though they weren't made to her directly, he reported that to the principal," Sayer said.
The principal "took immediately disciplinary action against both students," Sayer said. He would not say what kind of action was taken, citing school privacy rules.
A message left with Sayer on Friday was not immediately returned. The six charged teens, their families and their attorneys have not commented to The Associated Press. Messages left Friday with the teenagers' lawyers and an attorney representing the Prince family were not immediately returned.
District Attorney Elizabeth Scheibel has said the inaction of school officials was troublesome but not criminal.
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=157&sid=10188893
<!-- ===================[ STORY BODY : RICH TEXT ]================= -->
By STEPHANIE REITZ
Associated Press Writer
SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. (AP) - Phoebe Prince, the Massachusetts high school freshman who took her own life after what prosecutors called relentless bullying by classmates, spoke to a school administrator one week before her death about a threat of physical violence, court documents reveal.
The documents, filed in connection with charges against six South Hadley High School students, raise new questions about how much school officials knew about the bullying. They also provide a glimpse into the final, tortured hours of Prince's life shortly before the 15-year-old hanged herself at home Jan. 14.
On Jan. 7, according to the documents, Prince went to a school administrator after learning that one of the defendants, Flannery Mullins, had told fellow students that she was going to "beat Phoebe up" and that she "needed to watch out at break after second block."
The documents do not reveal the official to whom Prince spoke or provide details of the conversation.
A witness who was interviewed by investigators said Prince had gone to administrators because she was "scared and wanted to go home." After the meeting, the witness said Prince returned to class, and said that no action was going to be taken and that "she was still going to get beat up."
In a recent interview, Superintendent Gus Sayer said school administrators were not aware of the bullying until Jan. 7, a week before Prince committed suicide. On that day, two teachers reported separate bullying incidents to the principal, Sayer said.
In one incident, a student walked into Prince's classroom and yelled at her. In the other, a teacher overheard several students in the cafeteria making remarks about Prince "that appeared to be threatening."
"Even though they weren't made to her directly, he reported that to the principal," Sayer said.
The principal "took immediately disciplinary action against both students," Sayer said. He would not say what kind of action was taken, citing school privacy rules.
A message left with Sayer on Friday was not immediately returned. The six charged teens, their families and their attorneys have not commented to The Associated Press. Messages left Friday with the teenagers' lawyers and an attorney representing the Prince family were not immediately returned.
District Attorney Elizabeth Scheibel has said the inaction of school officials was troublesome but not criminal.
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=157&sid=10188893