Boy at $76,000-a-year school took own life after being falsely accused of rape
A pupil at a top boarding school took his own life after he was falsely accused of rape by cruel students.
"Extremely kind and good-hearted" Jack Reid was bullied by his fellow students at a New Jersey boarding school that costs a whopping $76,000 a year.
The 17-year-old died on April 30 2022 and the private school has now admitted it did not do enough to prevent him from tragically taking his own life after he was falsely accused of rape.
The Lawrenceville School in Mercer County said in a statement on the anniversary of Jack's Death that "there were steps that the school should in hindsight have taken but did not".
The statement read: "The Lawrenceville School and William and Elizabeth Reid, parents of Jack Reid, have reached an agreement in the wake of the tragic loss of Jack, a Fourth Former in Dickinson House, who died by suicide on April 30, 2022"
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The vicious rumours about young Jack were also circulated online.
Jack Reid took his own life aged 17 (Family Handout)
School head Stephen Murray has admitted more could have been done (The Lawrenceville School)During the cruel course of bullying, Jack was given a rape whistle and a book about how to make friends during a secret Santa gift exchange.
The school investigated the rumours and found them to be untrue, but Jack's parents were not told he had been absolved.
The statement admitted: "Jack was a victim of bullying and other forms of cruel behaviour at Lawrenceville over the course of a year, including in the form of false rumours in person and online.
Tuition at the Lawrenceville School in Mercer County costs $76,000 every year (The Lawrenceville School)"When these behaviours were brought to the attention of the school, there were steps that the school should in hindsight have taken but did not, including the fact that the school did not make a public or private statement that it investigated and found rumours about Jack that were untrue.
"There also were circumstances in which the involvement of an adult would have made a difference."
'There were steps that the school should in hindsight have taken but did not,' the school said (The Lawrenceville School)On the day Jack passed away, the student who had been disciplined for bullying Jack returned from expulsion for an unrelated incident.
He was allowed to return "unsupervised" to the students.
The school added: "In addition, on April 30, when the student who previously had been disciplined for bullying Jack was expelled for an unrelated violation of school rules, the school allowed him to return to Dickinson House largely unsupervised where students gathered, including some who said harsh words about Jack.
"School administrators did not notify or check on Jack. That night, Jack took his life, telling a friend that he could not go through this again. The School acknowledges that bullying and unkind behaviour, and actions taken or not taken by the School, likely contributed to Jack’s death."
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School head Stephen Murray has admitted more could have been done (The Lawrenceville School)Jack's eternally grieving mum Dr Elizabeth Reid told the New York Times that she and Jack's father feel like they now have "life sentences".
The clinical psychologist said: "The only thing I'd love to change here is to get Jack back. I can't. I do know if he were alive, he would want me - both of us - to try to make something good out of this and honour him in the way he lived his life.
His dad William Reid added that he believes his son "had to escape the pain from the humiliation he was feeling".
The devastated parents have since set up the Jack Reid Foundation - which aims to raise awareness about suicide prevention and bullying - in his honour.
Since Jack's tragic death, the school has said it has launched a multi-part strategy to stop something similar from happening again.
In the US, if you or someone you know needs help, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.
In the UK, the Samaritans is available 24/7 if you need to talk. You can contact them for free by calling 116 123, email [email protected] or head to the website to find your nearest branch. You matter.
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