SCHOOL AND POLICE NEGLIGENCE

In Wyke v. Polk County (1997), the U.S. Court of Appeals held a Florida junior high school responsible for the death of Shawn Wyke, 13, who died by suicide at home after two attempts in school. Rather than notifying parents after the first attempts, the assistant principal invited the boy into his office-to read scripture.

 

The court reminded the school's defense team that the "intervening force" shield applies only to unforeseeable tragedies.

 

"We do not believe that a prudent person would have needed a crystal ball to see that Shawn needed help," the court ruled, "and that if he didn't get it soon, he might attempt suicide again."

 

Nor was Polk the first warning shot. In 1985, another federal appellate court held local police and school officials negligent for their handling of a 1982 incident that ended with the suicide of a 14-year-old student

(Kelson v. City of Springfield, Oregon).

 

School management journals also have sounded the alarm. The American School Board Journal May 2001 cover story reviewed the legal risks for schools with regard to suicide. In 2005, the American School Health Association adopted a resolution demanding nationwide reform.

 

Taking a stand, of course, should not be confused with taking action. Resolutions and "awareness" campaigns are no substitute for written protocols and expertly designed staff training. The grim numbers-the 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance survey found that 8.4 percent of all high school students had attempted suicide-demonstrate past mistakes and current needs. But statistics alone do not teach parents and educators how to prevent youth suicide.

 

Too many communities wait for the first suicide-or the second or third-before asking the right questions: Where do we start? Who are the experts? Which prevention programs really work?

 

The answers and the experts are readily available. Instead of spinning wheels-or reinventing them-school staff should examine the evidence-based programs already in place around the nation and already saving lives. The Suicide Prevention Resource Center and the NASP's "best practice" textbooks are just two tools available to educators who understand that school-based prevention is no longer an option but an obligation.