A 15-year-old from Huntsville, Alabama has died by suicide after he was bullied for being gay. 9th grader, Nigel Shelby, took his own life on April 18th reports WHNT News. Family members shared that Shelby was constantly the target of homophobic bullying.
Christie Finley, Superintendent of Hunstville City Schools addressed parents during a school board meeting on Monday:
I want to take a brief moment to speak about the recent loss of a Huntsville high school student, Nigel Shelby. I spent most of the weekend really processing this loss and I’m sure many of you have as well. And we will for a while to come. It’s clear to me that the simple word of the golden rule has really become more difficult for many to understand and to practice and it is time as a society to value, respect and uplift one another.
It is time for us to come together. Now is the time for us to teach our children and our students the values of acceptance, kindness, generosity, helpfulness and basically just being a human being.
A GoFundMe page has been gathering donations to assist Shelby’s family during this very difficult time. The initial $10,000 goal has been surpassed and donations have reached over $26,000.
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A classmate of Shelby’s, Nadia M. Richardson, started the group No More Martyr’s which aims to bring awareness to bullying and end suicide due to bullying.
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide you can contact any of these resources 24-7.
- Crisis services of north Alabama at (256) 716-1000.
- The national suicide prevention lifeline at 1(800)273-8255.
- Text the crisis text line at 741-741.
You can also download the SPEAK suicide prevention app for free.
Source: WHNT News
