12-year-old boy commits suicide after being bullied for coming out
Andrew Leach was bullied by his classmates after he allegedly spoke about his sexuality
A 12-year-old boy has tragically killed himself after he was bullied for coming out.
Andrew Leach was found dead at his Mississippi home after he hung himself on March 6. Leach’s 16-year-old brother found him in the family garage alongside a heartbreaking note.
Speaking to WREG, Cheryl Hudson, Andrew’s mother, described her son as a “loving young boy”.
She said: “He had a contagious smile. He was outdoorsy. He loved to go camping. If you were down, he’d try to help you up.”
However, Hudson reveals she didn’t recognise that Andrew himself needed help: “I guess I was just oblivious to it. He just always seemed so happy.”
Andrew’s father, Matt Leach, explained that his son had struggled “internally” with his sexuality, and was bullied by classmates at Southaven Middle School.
“He finally came out with the information at school that he thought he may be bisexual. I think that really amped up the bullying.”
Leach also stated that the note Andrew had left detailed the tragic details of what he had been dealing with at school.
He said: “Kids were telling him, ‘We’re gonna put hands on you. You’re not going to make it out of this bathroom.’ Things of that nature.”
Hudson said she had previously spoken to school officials about the bullying Andrew had faced, but that nothing had some of it.
“I only spoke with the school’s 6th grade principal. I didn’t know how to handle it. His dad did talk to a teacher one time. But from what we are hearing, there was a group of kids that would go around calling him fat, ugly and worthless.”
Students, however, had decorated several school desks with heartfelt messages in his memory. Some of the messages include: “You will be missed”, “You always were a good person & you will be missed” and “Andy, we will remember you.”
A GoFundMe campaign has so far raised over $10,000 (Just over £7,000) in Andrew’s memory.
“He will be missed deeply by all that knew and loved him. No words could come close to expressing what this family is enduring. If you can’t contribute monetarily, I ask that you pray for his mum, dad, brothers, family & friends. I as that you kiss your kids and hug them a bit tighter.”