Suicides Put Spotlight On School Bullying Issue

The New York Times (10/4, McKinley) reports, "The case of Tyler Clementi, the Rutgers University freshman who jumped off the George Washington Bridge after a sexual encounter with another man was broadcast online, has shocked many. But his death is just one of several suicides in recent weeks by young gay teenagers who had been harassed by classmates, both in person and online." According to the Times, "The deaths have set off an impassioned - and sometimes angry - response from gay activists and caught the attention of federal officials, including Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who on Friday called the suicides 'unnecessary tragedies' brought on by 'the trauma of being bullied.'"