Teen suicide due to bullying is spinning wildly out of control, say parents of 14-year-old Jamey Rodemeyer. Their son committed suicide and left no note, but Tracy and Tim Rodemeyer have no doubt what was the cause.
Jamey submitted a video in May to the It Gets Better Project on YouTube. In it, he tells a heartwrenching tale of the horrible things people said and did to him. Pressing on through the pain, and while blinking back tears, Jamey showed a glimmer of hope when talking about support he'd found online and in Lady Gaga and her music.
The Rodemeyers say he had begun to improve over the past year. His grades were up and he seemed happy.
The name-calling and taunting provoked a visit to the school from Jamey's parents. They say they were under the impression that the school had managed to stop some of it. Jamey's friends say he was still being tormented by school bullies, but he seemed to be handling it better. Television reporter Josh Boose asked Tim if he thought Jamey finally just couldn't handle it anymore.
“Yeah, I think so,” Tim replied. “I think that's what happened. He fooled everybody. He put on a brave face and I wish he wouldn't have.”