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30 students eyed in Phoebe Prince bullying tragedy

By
APRIL DREW,
IrishCentral.com
Published Thursday, February 4, 2010, 10:22 AM
Updated Thursday, February 4, 2010, 10:59 AM

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Tragic: Irish teenager Phoebe Prince who was bullied at high school in MA
Tragic: Irish teenager Phoebe Prince who was bullied at high school in MA


An investigation into the suicide of Phoebe Prince, believed to have been caused by school bullies, has reached out to 30 teenagers who were involved in or witnessed the tormenting of the 15-year-old Irish girl. 

Prince, who tragically took her own life on January 14, moved temporally from Ireland to South Hadley, Massachusetts and was enrolled in South Hadley high school last September. 

Prince didn't settle into her new school and after going on a date with a senior football player, the bullying started. 

Not only was Phoebe verbally tortured in the school corridors, she was also bullied via text messages to her cell phone and harassing messages were left on her Facebook page. 

According to the Herald, the teenagers suspected of hurdling abuse at the Irish girl are refusing to cooperate with an internal school investigation, on the recommendation of their lawyers. 

“There have been in our investigation some kids on their family’s - or family’s lawyer’s - recommendation that have not spoken to us,” Edward Boisselle, chairman of the South Hadley School Committee, told the Boston Herald. 

However, Boisselle said the school is determined to complete its investigation by the end of the week and dole out "severe" punishment where appropriate. 

“We have evidence that can be corroborated by more than one kid,” Boisselle said.

Northwestern District Attorney's office told Irish Central that an investigation is still pending into Prince's death and no charges have yet been brought forward. 

100 parents attended a meeting of the town’s Board of Selectmen on Tuesday night to highlight the need for punishment to be administrated to the students at South Hadley who bullied Phoebe.

Boisselle apologized for what "appears to be delays, sweeping this under the rug."

"It's a process. It's not an easy investigation," he said. 

Phoebe, who was born in Bedford, England but moved to Co. Clare when she was two, spent most of her life there.

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13 Comments

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darkone | Feb 07, 2010, 10:07 AM EST
For me this is a very sad event! For those who participated in this despicable bullying act - they are nothing more than modern day Nazi’s. Yes, we the human family stood aside in the early twentieth century and watched the bullying and brutalization of people in Germany. There is no ignorance with this issued – we know it exists in the corridors of our schools and work places. The real issue is not only prevention, but more so, how it is dealt with! It’s a crime, its aggravated manslaughter! Let’s treat it as such and deal with these criminals in the juvenile courts! A slap on the wrist from the school administration is not enough. Also, the technical staff should be able to trace the IP address from the bullies – lets get the law involved.

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ericalaughlin | Feb 06, 2010, 02:36 PM EST
Below is a petition in regards to this issue. If you'd like, sign it and be heard.

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ericalaughlin | Feb 06, 2010, 01:59 PM EST
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/The-Untouchable-Mean-Girls

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ericalaughlin | Feb 06, 2010, 12:16 AM EST
From today: http://ow.ly/14tbV%20

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hankhenry | Feb 05, 2010, 03:16 PM EST
Not only is this an American tragedy, but what will the good people of Ireland think of American's. Unbelievable. I know the school officials are somewhat culpable, but as the saying gos, "children learn what they live". Hopefully, all the parents at SHHS take a good look at themselves.

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hankhenry | Feb 05, 2010, 03:12 PM EST
Very sad!

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catarerina | Feb 05, 2010, 10:15 AM EST
oops sorry I meant 3 times her size, lol..not 23, good grief he would have been a giant.

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catarerina | Feb 05, 2010, 10:13 AM EST
I truly feel sorry that this young girl's life is gone, because we live in a society that has long turned a blind eye to bullying, until of course something tragic occurs. How many people's lives have been scarred by taunts and threats that stem from their childhood? I remember when my little girl first went to High school. She came home and told me this guy, who looked like he should have been out of school, big and tough looking would come by her locker and slam his fist on it, she had been ignoring him, until he told her he was going to break her little neck. Well I immediately went to the school and gave the principle hell. He said oh don't worry we have given him in school suspension for 3 days. I told him, I don't think you understand my position. This guy is leaving this school. His parents can find him another school, or I am leaving here and going straight to the police. Threatening to break a child's neck is a serious thing. The principle frowned, but agreed to suspend the kid for the rest of the year. I said I am not going to be worrying every day that some kid almost 23 times my daughters size is terrifying her and might follow through. We should never allow awful people to continue bad behavior when we have the means to stop them.

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angelwoman | Feb 05, 2010, 10:03 AM EST
My prayers go out to her family. Its a very sad story, but one that has happened before unfortuneately and one that will probably happen again. I was often the bullied when I went to school. Fortuneately I had my mom who helped me. Also, another girl wrote a letter to the teacher about the bullying that was going on. Everyone assumed it was me. Those that were nice, stopped and became my friend. The others turned meaner. But I dealt with it my just ignoring them and developing a "smart" mouth, which didn't help, but once they saw that I would verbally fight back, they stopped. The bullying now seems to be going alot further than back in the early '70's. School officials and parents need to educate there children that this is unacceptable behavior and give the students an outlet for discussion and all schools should address it at an assembly. This could have turned the other way and became another Columbine. It time to get everyone talking about this subject.

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txtenista | Feb 05, 2010, 09:13 AM EST
how tragic and sad, this story truly breaks my heart....no wonder everyone the the other side of the pond hates us...this girl did nothing wrong but be teenager...she wanted to see what the fuss was about america...she was enjoying her schoolwork and going to her classes, trying to make friends, normal life of a high school girl...tragic but these people that did this will have to live with this for the REST of thier lives...god have mercy on thier souls...my condolences go our to the entire community and to her family as well...i hope to see justice in this case...what a beautiful young lady:,-(

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ericalaughlin | Feb 05, 2010, 07:01 AM EST
Below is the link to the latest local information on the case.

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ericalaughlin | Feb 05, 2010, 07:00 AM EST
http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/02/students_who_bullied_phoebe_pr.html

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ericalaughlin | Feb 04, 2010, 07:17 PM EST
I've commented on another article but I'd like to comment on this one as well. I just want to make it know that there is still an outrage here in South Hadley. There are still many, many people kicking down doors and fighting for things to change. I drive by the house where Pheobe lived with her family at least twice a day because it's on a main road here in South Hadley. The students have to drive by her house to and from school every day because her house is almost directly across the street from the high school. She won't be forgotten...almost everyone in this town is reminded each day when they drive by that house. We won't back down and we won't stop until we see the collective change that is needed (parents, teachers, kids..). We refuse for anything to be swept under the rug, faded away or just left unresolved.

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