The director of schools in Polk County, Tenn., says an internal investigation could not substantiate claims that a student was bullied before taking his own life last month.
But a former student and the boy’s mother and brother voice doubts about school officials’ efforts to combat bullying and accuse administrators of ignoring the problem.
Copper Basin High School student Patrick Griffin, 18, was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound March 5. Griffin’s mother, Doresa, and older brother, Raymond, say he was the victim of bullying.
“I think my brother was singled out … because he was a lot smarter than most kids his age. He didn’t have to open a book to study and he was extremely intelligent,” Raymond Griffin said. “Unfortunately, he did not talk about it. I wish that he would have.”
Doresa Griffin said Polk officials were made aware of some verbal bullying problems last year when someone started a rumor that Patrick Griffin had threatened to bomb the band room.