Thursday, April 29, 2010

California: Vigil to honor teen who died by suicide



2010-04-29 11:53:49
saturday-memory-clemente-
San Clemente High School students plan a vigil Saturday night to remember student Daniel Mendez on the anniversary of his suicide last May 1.
The vigil will begin at 7 p.m. at the greenbelt along Camino de Los Mares in the Forster Ranch neighborhood of San Clemente. Parking will be available on Via Sage.
Mendez was a 16-year-old sophomore at San Clemente High when he died of what authorities determined was a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His body was found along Via Sage with a revolver beside it.
Family members have pointed to bullying by other students as the cause of his suicide. In August, Mendez's parents sued the Capistrano Unified School District, alleging administrators did not do enough to prevent bullying. The district sought dismissal of the lawsuit, but in February, an Orange County Superior Court judge tentatively allowed it to move forward. The district has again filed court papers seeking dismissal, and another court hearing is planned for May.
The vigil is organized by Cool to be Kind, commonly known as C2BK, an anti-bullying student club. The club plans to host a weeklong bullying-prevention forum in June at the high school. The forum had been scheduled for this week to coincide with the anniversary of Mendez's death but was postponed due to the teachers strike.
For more information, contact club adviser Katie Mann at 949-370-8184, e-mail tkmjmann@cox.net or visit the club's Facebook page.
Contact the writer: blevine@ocregister.com or 949-492-5135

No comments: