ASHLAND CITY, Tenn. — Students at a local school are grieving a classmate. Friends say the young man took his own life because he couldn’t take any more bullying.
And they say school officials knew about the torment but didn’t do enough to stop it.
WSMV-TVJacob Rogers
Friends say that kids bullied Jacob Rogers at Cheatham County Central High School for the past four years, but in the past few months it had become so bad he dropped out of school.
And Wednesday, he ended his life.
“He started coming home his senior year saying ‘I don’t want to go back. Everyone is so mean. They call me a f****, they call me gay, a queer,’” friend Kaelynn Mooningham said.
Kaelynn said her friend Jacob felt ignored.
“Jacob told me no one was helping him. He constantly was going to guidance,” she said.
But Cheatham County Schools Director Dr. Tim Webb said the school was only aware of one incident of bullying.
“She actually intervened and called the students in accused of bullying or picking. She called them in, talked to them and gave them warnings. Subsequently after that, she ran into the student and asked him if things were better and he indicated that things were better,” Webb said.
But Kaelynn knows that Jacob wasn’t OK. Things were still so bad around Thanksgiving that he ultimately quit going to school.
“No one would listen and stand up for him,” she said.
Brentwood attorney Larry Crane has worked on several cases involving bullying where schools failed to do enough.
“Federal government is taking a closer look at these cases,” he said.
And now, those like Kaelynn are wondering when is enough, finally enough?
“It just doesn’t have to make sense. How many kids have to die before Cheatham does something,” she said.
Kaelynn says Jacob lived with his grandmother who primarily took care of him. She found a couple notes that Jacob left for her. In those notes Jacob left passwords to his email and his phone so investigators could determine why he chose to kill himself.
As for Cheatham Central, counselors will be on hand again Thursday for grieving classmates.
Friends of Jacob’s family say they likely don’t have enough money to hold a funeral. Donations for a funeral are being accepted at Sandman’s Ink Shop, a local tattoo shop in Ashland City.
A video report is also available at WSMV-TV.
Filed under: Tennessee
Florida teen fighting criminal charges related to same-sex relationship
Wash. florist who refused flowers for gay couple’s wedding files suit against state
Texas judge enforces ‘morality clause’ to split up lesbian couple
Catholic school: Transgender student must wear girl’s graduation gown
Another Ore. bakery refuses to provide wedding cake for same-sex couple
Matt Barber tweets homophobic cartoon of gay man tricking Boy Scout into sex
UPDATED: Police call fatal New York City shooting an anti-gay hate crime
Sex and the teenage girl: The Kaitlyn Hunt tragedy
Iowa anti-gay activist explains his opposition to gay marriage: ‘It’s awful’
Details emerge in case against teen accused of lewd behavior with girlfriend
Parents sue S.C. hospital over child’s gender assignment surgery
Scottish cardinal to atone for sexual misconduct with younger clergy
BREAKING: Minn. governor signs marriage equality bill — ‘Love is the law’
BREAKING: French president signs marriage equality bill into law
Everything is bigger in Texas – even the homophobia
smh
:(
Damn…that’s so sad..
:(
Sigh :(
this has to stop this to much =/
:’(
.:’( r.i.p.:/
<3 =0(
so sad
Smh
Bullying is never going to stop unless you get to the root of the problem…. The parents, or the child. Someone has some deep emotional problems that take it out on others for your own personal enjoyment. It has to start with the parents because where else would they learn this?
And this is one of the reasons why I hate the vast majority of kids.
very sad
That is just plain and simple! SAD! :( I truly belive in karma!! God bless him and all of those being bullied… ~Randy Reese
Where does it all end?
I was a joker in high school and i’d hate to think people I went to school with think I am a bully because I joked with/on everyone. I think bullying comes from a need to feel superior to the person you are putting down and if you stand out for any reason that is more of a target on your back unfortunately. Maybe it has to do with development at that age, and the fact kids was to LOOK cool all the time
*want to look cool
ANOTHER ONE!? My flippin gosh, how many people have to lose their lives to horrible people that insist on being cruel?! GRRRRRRRR SO PISSED TO HEAR ABOUT THIS! ~~~~R.I.P Jacob Rogers ✞
Another one. This must stop.
That is sad as a motherfucker…
unfortunatly not nearly soon enough
only you can stop this madness….Truth, compassion, understanding!
SHAMEFUL!
agrees with Breyanna
stop it plz stop killing urselves we need you for the future!
I am too sad to see this again….and we all know this isn’t the last time. And we know all involved will claim innocence. And most of the people seeing this will go about their business. We are a sad sick society. So Sad. So Shameful.
This is disgusting. How many innocent kids have to die before someone gets these goddamned hateful redneck fuckheads in line?? If there actually is any kind of hell, those fuckfaces are bound for it.
Another incident on an ever-increasing, very sad list of how life in the early 21st century is taking two steps back for every step forward…
:(
We have to do something about this really
I agree! Too little,too late! The lgbtq kids need to stand together. If it is not better @ school,tell the teachers. There should be a teacher rep with the straight-gay committee. The bully and the parents of the bullie(s) involved should be taken to juvnile court. Court ordered counseling should be the 1st step. If the bully &/or their parents are not compliant,let the bully & their parents go to jail. When parents are made to be involved in their childs poor behavior,the parents get a wake-up call,too. As for the lgbttq youth,these kids also need some counseling to prepare them for life. As for the bullying,this can follow them all of their life if they are not taught to handle bullies now. It is sad people are bullies. The bullies have behavior problems that have not been addressed. It is beyond time they were!
This is a pandemic! :(
That’s sad
this breaks my heart ;(
This makes me want to Kill myself .
I hope that those kids realize that that boy DIED because of them…
THIS IS SO SAD, SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE . THIS YOUNG MAN DID NOT HAVE TO DIE. HE HAD HIS SO MUCH TO DO !THERE GOT TO BE ONE PERSON WHO WOULD LOVED HIM. HELPED HIM .AND TRYED TO STOP THE BULLING ! KNOW
RIP :’(
Honestly, it’s just insanity that this keeps happening.
: (
rest in peace.
this needs to stop. how many does it take to end the ignorance? I wish people would just take 10 mins to get to know these kids, and realize they are good people, regardless if they don’t agree with their personal lifestyle. its just so tragic.