After facing intense bullying for four days, 9-year-old Jamel Myles committed suicide. He was in fourth grade.
Over the summer, Jamel’s mom, Leia Pierce, said her son told her he was gay, according to KDVR-TV.
Suicide. Nine years old.
Just four days into the new school year, he’d been bullied to death. https://t.co/dd2UIkhVMe
— Jeremy Hubbard (@JeremyHubbard) August 27, 2018
“He looked so scared when he told me,” she recalled. “He was like, ‘Mom, I’m gay.’ And I thought he was playing, so I looked back because I was driving, and he was all curled up, so scared. And I said, ‘I still love you.’”
Jamel wanted to tell his classmates about his orientation, because he was “proud,” Pierce noted. The young boy’s mother said her son expressed interest in dressing differently, too.
“He goes, ‘Can I be honest with you?’” Pierce said. “And I was like, ‘Sure,’ and he’s like, ‘I know you buy me boy stuff because I’m a boy, but I’d rather dress like a girl.’”
9-year-old Jamel Myles told his mom he was gay two weeks before school started. His mom says he loved to dress up, make people smile, and bond with his sisters. pic.twitter.com/KscKBCYIfm
— Alex Rose (@AlexRoseNews) August 28, 2018
Four days into the school year, Pierce found her son dead in their Denver, Colorado, home. He had taken his own life.
“Four days is all it took at school. I could just imagine what they said to him,” Pierce said, her voice shaking. “My son told my oldest daughter the kids at school told him to kill himself. I’m just sad he didn’t come to me.”
She added, “I’m so upset that he thought that was his option.”
The details of Jamel’s story sparked an immediate reaction on numerous fronts: He was very young and he chose to declare his sexual orientation at a very early age.
Sheryl Ziegler, a psychologist with the Child and Family Therapy Center in Lowry, told KDVR-TV that the age at which children disclose their orientation is “definitely getting younger.” Years ago, she explained, coming out as a middle-schooler “seemed young.”
“Now that’s the norm,” she explained.
News of Jamel’s suicide came at the same time it was revealed a megachurch pastor in California took his own life after a years-long struggle with depression and anxiety.
Andrew Stoecklein, 30, died Saturday after previously attempting to kill himself the Friday before. Stoecklein, senior pastor of Inland Hills Church in Chino, had been open and transparent about his struggle with suicide and depression. He was even preaching a series titled “Hot Mess” about the dangers of masking such feelings.
As for Jamel, the young child’s family released a statement thanking everyone for their support as they grieve his death.
This just in- The family of #JamelMyles released this statement, wanting to thank everyone for the support as the struggle with Jamel’s death. @KDVR pic.twitter.com/nDZwmBBd0e
— Alex Rose (@AlexRoseNews) August 28, 2018
“Our family of [four] is now a family of [three],” the statement read in part. “No words I can say will show the emptiness I have. Our family wants to thank those people who have supported us.”
Pierce said it’s important to have “accountability for bullying,” arguing parents should be held responsible for children’s bad behavior “because obviously the parents are either teaching them to be like that or they’re treating them like that.”
If you or anyone you know is struggling with depression, suicidal thoughts, or you just need someone to talk to, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. If you’re looking for counseling services in your area, consult the Christian Counselors Network.