Another suicide caused by school harassment

It's happened again.

This time, an 11-year-old boy who attended a charter school in Springfield, Massachusetts, is the victim.

The 6th grader at New Leadership Charter School committed suicide by hanging after he was repeatedly harassed by schoolmates.

The boy's mother had called the school again and again about the harassment. Naturally, the school refused to do anything about it.

The suicide occurred after the school forced the youngster to eat lunch with a harasser all week. This is further proof of the school's unchecked incompetence at dealing with the situation.

I agree with the commenter on the Massachusetts paper's website who said the only way this will stop is if we start charging harassers with crimes. However, I disagree that the charge in this case should be manslaughter. The charge should be murder.

Since it's a charter school, doesn't it have the right to reject or expel serial bullies? Charter schools are supposed to have accountability. Where's the accountability here?

Or are students' scores on standardized tests the only measure of accountability? I've mentioned before that Springfield is known nationally for its insufferable public school system that doesn't obey state regulations or federal court rulings itself. My experiences in private schools were worse than in public schools, but I never attended a charter school to see if it was just as unaccountable.

These days, you have to assume the worst about any public, private, or charter school. America's schools have proven so inept at dealing with harassment that the system has earned our contempt.

(Source: http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/04/mom_says_springfield_boy_11_wh.html)