Girl with Asperger’s Bullied at Phoebe Prince’s School

January 18, 2011

phoebe-princes-school/

Girl with Asperger's Bullied at Phoebe Prince's School

Posted by carolyn

castiglia on January 18th, 2011 at 1:12 pm

We all undoubtedly remember the tragic bullying death of 15-year-old Phoebe

Prince last year. Prince killed herself in January 2010 after students at South

Hadley High School in Massachusetts mercilessly tormented her for months. Six

students were charged in her death and have still not yet faced trial a year

later.

The Boston Herald reported on Friday that Prince's family feel – despite the

anti-bullying legislation passed in Massachusetts last Spring – very little has

changed about the climate at South Hadley. They quoted a Prince family friend,

Darby O'Brien, as saying, " I think that a lot of people, especially the local

media, have convinced people that change has happened and the school system is

moving in the right direction, and it's not. " O'Brien continued, " You got these

kids who are being held responsible over the loss of Phoebe Prince and the

adults continue to skate. And that's not right. "

Based on a recent accusations of bullying made by another female student at

South Hadley, it looks like O'Brien is on to something. 16-year-old sophomore

Payton Spinney complained that her classmates have called her " Satan " and cursed

at her in the halls. Spinney's mother has called the school about the problem

four times, yet nothing has been done to help Spinney, who has been diagnosed

with Asperger's. Not surprisingly, South Hadley High School officials " dispute

the family's claims. "

Recommended Posts