Family: Bullied Teen Commits Suicide

Friends and loved ones of a 15-year-old Cleburne boy who took his own life say he was repeatedly bullied and teased.

FOX 4 and myFOXdfw.com don’t typically report on suicides, but in this case the teen’s family wants all families to be aware of the serious consequences of bullying.

Family members said Hunter Layland was a freshman at Cleburne High School. He also had a hearing problem and facial scars because of an accident when he was a toddler.

Several classmates made fun of him, Hunter’s family said. They made fun of the way he looked and someone once told him “if I had a face like yours I’d shoot myself.”

Hunter committed suicide on Wednesday.

Teen Suicide and School Bullying

There are suicide and bullying prevention resources available on Centers for Disease Control’s Web site.

A sobering “anti-bullying” film is now circulating through high school campuses across the country.

The film “Sticks and Stones” was produced by a New Jersey district attorney’s office and is based on the true story of a teen who took his own life after being bullied.

According to the CDC, suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15 to 24-year-olds and the government health organization encourages parents to talk with their children about respecting their peers.

For more information, visit http://www.cdc.gov/features/SafeSchools/ .