Mother calls for change after son’s suicide

A mother whose 11-year-old son took his own life this week is speaking out. She says her son, Carl Joseph Walker Hoover, was constantly bullied at school in the weeks leading up to his death.

Sirdeander Walker: I called his name and he didn’t respond. So I went upstairs to get Carl — and um. I found him, you know. I found him. My baby.

What happened to 44-year old Sirdeaner walker is any parent’s worst nightmare. On Monday evening, she found her 11-year old son, Carl, dead in his bedroom. He had committed suicide by hanging himself with an extension cord.

Sirdeaner Walker: It was just unbelievable to me. I thought I was in a dream. I thought I was in a nightmare. I couldn’t lift him – so all I could do was scream.

In the days since, Sirdeaner and her close family – have been asking the question why? They say Carl was a great kid who loved sports and was involved in many community organizations and attended church every Sunday. The answer, they believe, can be traced to the cruelty of some of his classmates at the New Leadership charter school in Springfield.

Sirdeander Walker: He was being teased at the school – he was being made fun of – he was being bullied. A lot of it surrounded by “you act gay,” “are you gay.”

Walker, captain of the 6th grade parent teacher organization says the bullying has been going on all year — she knew Carl had been upset by it and had alerted the school.

 See Mother calls for change after son’s suicide NECN