WELLSVILLE, Ohio — An Ohio teenager was in a coma Friday in the intensive care unit at Akron Children’s Hospital, a week after he tried to end his own life.
Austin Rodriguez, 15, a student at Wellsville High School, told his parents last Thursday that they “didn’t know what was going on his personal life.” The next evening, according to his mother Bonnie Rodriguez, Austin told her he had taken more than 120 pills of his own medication and then collapsed on the kitchen floor.
Austin Rodriguez
Bonnie Rodriguez told local reporters that her son attempted suicide was because he was bullied, both online via Facebook, through texts, as well as physically bulled.
“They were hiding his gym clothes because they didn’t want him changing in the locker room with them,” she said. “They didn’t want him to eat by them, or in the school lunchroom. The night before this happened he said that we didn’t know what was going on in his personal life, and we let him know that we were more than willing to listen to anything that he had to say,” Bonnie Rodriguez said.
“Absolutely nothing was going through my head, and everything at the same time,” she said.
Rodriguez said Austin is openly gay, a loving son and good person, and with whom she has an honest relationship. But his mother admitted that she didn’t know how badly kids were bullying him.
“Until friends came out of the woodwork saying ‘we knew Austin was going through this, we thought he was handling it a lot better, we didn’t know what to do’,” she said.
Wellsville Schools Superintendent Richard Bereschik said the case involving Austin Rodriguez is currently undergoing an administrative review, and declined to discuss details. He said once the review is complete, school officials will follow the bullying policy in place.
Bonnie Rodriguez said she wants to work with the administration and get her message out to all school districts in the area.
“If I would have known anything, then I would have done something,” she said. “Parents, talk to your kids. Teachers, talk to your kids. You know, we’re the adults, we need to teach them.”
WKBN-TV reports that Wellsville High School held a student assembly in response to the news of the suicide attempt.
The school does not have a gay-straight alliance, but principal Linda Rolley said adding one might be considered among changes she’ll make in response to the administrative review of what contributed to the suicide attempt.
It’s too soon to tell if Austin will completely recover, he remains in critical condition at Akron Children’s Hospital.
Doctors said they’re keeping him heavily sedated because of damage to his lungs, but his mother said she plans to fight for him no matter what.
Filed under: Ohio
Florida teen fighting criminal charges related to same-sex relationship
Harvey: Gays deserve to be fired for displaying their lifestyles to everyone
Anti-gay marriage activist commits suicide on alter at Notre Dame cathedral
Texas judge enforces ‘morality clause’ to split up lesbian couple
Candidate for Va. Lt. Governor warns same-sex marriage leads to bestiality
ACLU, attorney condemn prosecution of teen who had sex with minor girlfriend
Sex and the teenage girl: The Kaitlyn Hunt tragedy
UPDATED: Police call fatal New York City shooting an anti-gay hate crime
Attorney implies suspect’s child sexual abuse was a factor NYC killing
Transgender student skips graduation rather than wear female gown
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
BREAKING: French president signs marriage equality bill into law
Everything is bigger in Texas – even the homophobia
Obama delivers LGBT-inclusive commencement address at all-male college
this has to stop smh
jesus fucking christ i hate this
any young people will we lose before something is done?
u to suzanne
As awful as this is, at least this one is alive. Something has to be done.
:(
This is heart-breaking! Thank the Good Lord they are still here. There needs to be stricter laws and consequences for bullies No one needs to feel the need to take their own life because, everyone’s life with worth it. Bullies need to be taken down!!!
hope he will one day know that people do love him just the way he is! ♥
=[ sad, bullying is out of control and just unacceptable!
those bullys gotta STOP !! :(
I agree with everyone
I agree with the thank ged hes still alive I hope he cpomes out of it!
This is really heartbreaking and this has to stop I swear
Wow I was bullied a lot for being gay, but I’ve never even thought to kill myself because of it. Be strong young gays, it gets better when you’re older.
If you can make it through highschool then you can make it the rest of your life.
This has got to stop!!! I am a momma, and all I care about is my sons’ happiness. Gay, straight….Whatever. What gives people the rightr to judge and/or bully?? Just makes me sick, all of the ugliness in the world.
stop already with the bullying people !!!
Very sad !!!
I am saddened by this.It disgusts me to think that people can be so heartless by bullying kids not caring or even thinking what it can ultimately lead to.
Thats awful that someone could be bullied to the point of taking thier own lives :(
*trying
thats rlly sad
I was bullied so bad between 6-9th grades that to this day, over 40 years later, my mother still doesn’t believe all of it. If you’re the target in a small town, you are ALONE! They come at you anytime, 7 days a week, with anything. My crime was being new and from the city. Then, as my self-esteem fell, my weight rose and gave them more ammunition. I thought about suicide and mass-murder all the time and even wrote a suicide note once. The experience scarred me emotionally for life but I DID WIN because I am alive! These suicides are hurting my heart so much.
Eff! Why cant we learn to support one another, not tear each other down?? He looks adorable. Sending positive thoughts. :_(
I hope he wakes from his coma in better days and soon, too.
Sending lots of love his way!
this poor guy, my wishes are with him. He’ll wake up and find some better days ahead of him.
May God be with him and his family.
wtf arent these kids listening, there is a huge influx of social awarness growing for them, and their situations, its starting to get annoying now…
My thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family… <3
:(
so sad my prayers goes to him & family..
:’( I wonder if he know the program It Gets Better Project ? :’( Poor soul
this is sickening! when will it end!!! so sad :(
Makes me wanna cry. Hope is is ok.
Surrounding him and his family and those that love him in prayer
SAD
what a shame
It’s sad how LGBTs are killing themselves and the media isn’t doing enough to expose the haters that caused these tragedies.
We have to stand up against bullying in every way we can. These kids live in hell every day and we have to protect them.
Unconscionable!! When will people stop hating, it is just making the world miserable for everyone, nobody wins, when hates consumes one half of the population and death and destruction claims the other half. If he doesn’t make it, who knows what the world will miss out on that he might have done. Cure cancer, write a wonderful book, paint an awe-inspiring masterpiece, write a beautiful song. It might all be lost because someone couldn’t stop hating to see a beautiful young man!!
What should be done to those involved with bullying this poor young man is exactly what was just done to another anti gay bully, Dharum Davi. Prosecution with jail time is the only way to make these bastards think twice before they destroy others lives with no fear of punishment.
I really think what we can do right now is to start paying attention to our children. Really, if parents really spend times to teach their children small little things (how to be polite, respect and listen), I am very sure our society will be in better shape. STAND UP PARENTS! DO YOUR JOB! <3
Who gave the right to anyone to judge anyone else!!!!! God must be ashamed of his this creation am sure called humans!! Suffering from disorders or self created misnomers that they can judge or pass verdicts!!! Be proud of who you are and don’t judge others don’t push them to limits!! Next cud be you for some or the other reason!!
And CRACK DOWN on bullying in school. Teachers, principals, administrators, do NOT let this stuff slide. Its not funny, its not “kids being kids”, its not normal, and its not okay. Ask anyone in this country and probably more than half of them will tell u they still break down if they think of the pain they went through during junior high. Even those of us who survive have life-long PTSD. Its like war. And the effects stay with u for life if they don’t take ur life right there. FIGHT it. Don’t say “quiet down kids” and just leave it unaddressed. And its true parents need to do better. Your kids get hateful ideas from YOU and torture other kids with it. Is that who u wna raise?
I should b clear though, generally good people can be raising generally good kids inadvertently passing on a message that bullying is okay and those generally good kids can b torturing other kids EVEN if they’re being tortured themselves. That’s y this issue is so difficult. The victims and the perpetrators are often the same people.
Thats so sad!
To the religious leaders of the world.
It will only stop,
When you open your
Hearts.
Oh but most of them won´t ever,specially muslim fundies !!!
And adamant, homofobic christian fundies either.
Hope he makes it….if only kids could get past the rough stage to understand the world is a f’ing mess….especially the middle of America.
The poor boy. His poor parents. Please help them through this time of stress and worry.
This is seriously 20 minutes from where I live. Completely breaks my heart.
Will this ever end?
Instead of loving each other as humans, they drive people to suicide and self loathing.
Won’t you finally end that shameful It Will Get Better campaign in exchange for a Bullies Are Criminals campaign?
My heart goes out to him and his family. When will it end?
Jochen, YES Bullies ARE Criminals, but IT GETS BETTER Does help SO many kids. I KNOW it seems Glass half full/Half empty right now, but once we get THE OTHER SIDE – REAL Law and REAL Enforcement against the bullies – THEN the glass will be FULL! Full of Love and Joy and Safety for ALL out children.
No comment…..
This is SOOOO wrong and so sad!