Phoebe Prince was bullied mercilessly – at school, by text, and on Facebook. Even as police began investigating whether cyber bullying was to blame for the 15-year-old’s death, classmates posted disparaging remarks on her Facebook memorial page.
Phoebe, who recently emigrated from Ireland, died on Jan. 14 after an agonizing freshman year at South Hadley High. Friends and school officials told My Fox Boston that Prince had been picked on and taunted since moving to Massachusetts last fall.
School principal Daniel Smith sent out a letter to parents of students at the high school. In the letter, he called Prince “smart, charming, and as is the case with many teenagers, complicated . . . We will never know the specific reasons why she chose to take her life.”
Smith said the bullying often stemmed from arguments about dating.
A classmate of Prince’s told the Boston Hearld that Phoebe was chased by a foul-mouthed girl who was among the teens who harassed her constantly.
“She was calling her names and threatening her. Phoebe was probably scared. I know I would be,” said the friend, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The girl told Prince to “Go kill yourself,” because the bully was “jealous that a boy she liked was going as Phoebe’s date to a dance,” the friend said.
Local police and the Northwestern District Attorney are investigating.
Procecutors and cops would not say if any of Phoebe’s tormentors could face harassment or more serious charges.