"Principal Dan Smith has completed disciplinary proceedings with students involved in the harassment of Phoebe Prince at South Hadley High School. Initially, his investigation focused on a small group of girls who had been identified by other students as participants in acts of name calling and bullying. The group actually consisted of two different subgroups. The first subgroup was responsible for a pair of name-calling incidents that occurred approximately one week before Phoebe's death. Those incidents were brought to the principal's attention when they occurred. He took immediate disciplinary action with the students, which was effective in ending their participation in further acts of bullying.

Over the last week of her life Phoebe was subjected to name calling and taunting on Facebook, through text messaging and during encounters with several students that occurred during school and after school. Unfortunately, none of those acts were observed by or brought to the attention of staff members at the high school when they occurred. Principal Smith's investigation concluded that a small group of students, including both girls and boys, were responsible for this repeated harassment. As participants' roles were identified in these very serious acts, the students were suspended, pending the scheduling of formal hearings to determine whether they would be given long-term suspensions or expulsions, in accordance with the school's Code of Conduct. Formal hearings are necessary to ensure due process rights, which include the right to be represented by attorney, to call witnesses on one's behalf and to rebut the charges being made. All of the students who faced these hearings are no longer at South Hadley High School and will not be returning. The District Attorney and police investigations of Phoebe Prince's death continue and may lead to criminal prosecutions.

While we think we have identified those responsible for the main acts of school-related bullying of Phoebe Prince, other students may have been involved in name calling and taunting that occurred on Facebook pages and through texting, outside the jurisdiction of the school. The Facebook pages that referred to Phoebe were removed, but it is possible that the police and the district attorney can recover them, which could lead to charges against other students. We are also concerned about bystanders, students who knew the bullying was taking place, did not participate in it, but also did not let any of our school staff know about it. The Bullying Task Force that begins its work this week will, among other activities, review disciplinary policies at the high school and consider if and how students who do not participate directly in bullying can be encouraged to report dangerous activities to school officials."

Gus Sayer
Superintendent of Schools
South Hadley