Teen Suspect In Principal's Murder Target Of Homophobic Bullying

[davidinalameda]

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon06/09/093006shooting.htm

A 15-year old charged in the Friday shooting death of his high school principal was angry that the man and others at the school had failed to stop classmates from bullying him court documents allege.

Principal John Klang, 49, was shot in the head, leg, and torso and later died in hospital. Eric Hainstock is charged as an adult with murder.

Police said that Hainstock armed himself with a handgun and rifle owned by his parents and headed off to Weston High School. A janitor and teacher saw Hainstock with the shotgun as he entered the school before classes Friday morning.

Investigators said that Hainstock pointed the gun at the teacher, but the custodian took it away.

[Warpy]

1. This is just so incredibly sad

Bullying is SERIOUS, folks. Some bullied kids kill themselves. Some snap and kill others, either bullies or authority figures who didn't take any of it seriously. The majority are scarred by it, with higher than average levels of alcoholism, depression, and other problems.

We've got to take on the bullies. Yes, some of us learned early enough that they're cowards who crumple when we stand up to them. Most never learn that lesson.

This story is filled with "if onlys." I find that more sad than anything else.

[goddess40]

8. It's called bullycide when kids kill themselves

after enduring years of torture.

Several years ago a young boy hung himself in his closet and they arrested and convicted the mother of negligence. It seems to me she had tried to get help for her son who was being bullied at school but they school did nothing.

[Redstone]

2. Not to excuse that murderous little fucker, but bullying is indeed some

seriously bad shit.

I lived with it, though I didn't punk out and use a gun. I put the asshole who was bullying me into the hospital with my bare hands, mano a mano.

Redstone

[Warpy]

13. I put one into the hospital

but he weighed nearly three times what I did (130 to my 45), so I went and found a piece of lumber with a nail sticking out of it.

His mother came marching down to our house breathing fire. My mother called me out of my room, and his mother took one look at me, shut her mouth, and left.

I found I have a crazy person inside who can take only so much. The bully found out it's a bad idea to piss off the Irish, no matter how small she is.

[bluestateguy]

3. A wakeup call to school administrators everywhere

Do not tolerate school bullying.

[goddess40]

5. They're all reactive instead of proactive

They wait until some poor kid snaps and then blame the kid and his parents.

My son's therapist and I are talking about starting a support group.

[bluestateguy]

6. Well, this principal paid for his dereliction of duty with his life

I don't condone what the kid did, but this would not have happened if the principal had done his job.

[goddess40]

7. true but a real anti-bullying program has to be all inclusive

All staff members not just teachers and administrators, parents, kids, law enforcement.

Our school wants us to sign a paper saying it's ok to call the police into handle my son's emotional breakdowns - which are prompted by his tormentors.

[goddess40]

4. I knew it

I posted on the post under the Wisconsin room. It makes me crazy, I'm fighting with our district for eleven years now, to do something about the bully problem.
My son has autism-spectrum disorder and has been bullied since kindergarten, all those years of abuse have given him severe anxiety attacks. Now that he's older and bigger the teachers are getting afraid of him - Maybe they'll finally listen to me and start an anti-bullying program - I doubt it though.

I went to the principal of the elementary school several years ago when the 1st graders were calling each other gay and fagot - he did absolutely nothing. Even worse was the group of parents standing there waiting for their brats and no one said anything.

I'm running for school board in spring - they better be ready if I win.

Edit: I had to add this link

This is THE BEST book on bullying:
The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander: From Preschool to High School--How Parents and Teachers Can Help Break the Cycle of Violence (Paperback)
by Barbara Coloroso
http://www.amazon.com/Bully-Bullied-Bystander-Preschool-School-How/dp/006001430X/sr=1-10/qid=1159665146/ref=sr_1_10/002-1777688-9868008?ie=UTF8&s=books

[napi21]

9. I'm not trying to make the problem any less than serious, but

in all fairness, bullying has existed ever since the beginning of humankind. What has changed NOW to cause not only kids, but people of any age to opt for guns as a solution?

I think, if we are all honest, most of us will admit we were bullied at one time or another in our lives. Something has changed in people's response.

[davidinalameda]

10. something has changed

rather than accepting it like so many of us did, this kid chose to fight back

I can't condone his actions but I have to admit that I thought about doing away with those who made my life a living hell in school but of course I never acted on those thoughts

[Forrest Greene]

11. Perhaps The Bullied

...have come to understand that most of the culture supports, encourages, & enjoys bullying, & have finally grown the self-respect, or the despair, needed to fight back against those who condone it. They fight back in the way they have been taught to fight by that same culture — with a gun. The flapping sounds you hear are chickens, coming home to roost.

[goddess40]

14. occasional teasing is different then constant harassment

getting bullied once or twice is different then having to deal with it every day. Columbine opened a Pandora's Box and instead of killing themselves some kids are fighting back.

In case you haven't noticed there is a nasty mean streak running through this country right now. In Wisconsin we're going to have a question on our ballots in November about bringing back the death penalty and a referendum that would put a ban on gay marriage in the Constitution. The republicans have established that torture IS the American way. It's not surprising that the kids have picked up on it and are acting like the adults.

[dsc]

12. This really isn't surprising

My first, unthinking reaction to Columbine was "but for the grace of God." I hated myself, my tormentors, nearly everyone when I was in middle school and early high school. I was determined to escape which is why I excelled in school and stuck it out. I can understand sadly why this kid couldn't take it anymore. I really could.