Elite boarding school admits fault in student suicide.
The Lawrenceville School in New Jersey has admitted to falling "tragically short" in protecting a student who committed suicide after being bullied by other students. The school has committed to taking corrective actions, including endowing a new dean's position focused on mental health issues, to become a model for anti-bullying and student mental health. The admission of failure and commitment to change is a rare and courageous response, according to a suicide prevention expert. The pandemic has exacerbated the mental health crisis among teenagers, and bullying can be a contributing factor to suicide. Private schools have more autonomy in addressing bullying, and the Reid family hopes to lobby for legislation in New York and New Jersey to broaden laws tied to bullying at private schools.