Wednesday 23 January 2013

“Have a nice life mum” – Final words of boy, 12, who hanged himself after getting expelled

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12yr boy suicideA 12-year-old schoolboy who was excluded from school hanged himself just hours later, an inquest heard today. Jordan Green, 12, had hurled chairs round a room, sworn at staff and threatened them.
At first he was excluded from school for one day and when his behaviour worsened the ban was increased to five days before eventually the principal banned him permanently.
And when he told his mother Heidi of the ban he said: ‘Have a nice life mum, I just feel like killing myself’.
Ms Green said she tried calling him later, adding: ‘He wouldn’t answer his phone and I thought “he obviously doesn’t want to speak to me”.’
The hairdresser said she returned to their home in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, after 8pm and told the inquest: ‘I assumed that he wasn’t home.
‘I thought he was playing with his friends.’
Medics believe he had been dead several hours when his body was found on June 27 last year.
Today, an inquest in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, heard how Jordan, whose mother was separated from his father, Kevin, had been disruptive even when he was at primary school.
Jordan had become increasingly disruptive in lessons since his grandmother died and his parents separated, Mrs Green told the hearing.
When he went to Harrogate High School, his behaviour became worse, causing him to be excluded from lessons on several occasions.
Vice principal Ann Francis said staff had had numerous meetings to decide how to help Jordan, who was academically adept but regularly disrupted classes and swore at teachers.
On occasions he would just start running round the 800-student school and hide from staff who were looking for him.
At one stage he was put in a special educational unit where his behaviour improved.
But last June the decision was finally made to exclude him from the school for good.
That morning he had left his home upset after he refused to get out of bed and go to school.
When he did get there he was put in a ‘chill room’ to calm down before he returned to normal lessons.
Miss Francis said he was allowed to use the computers in the room and was kept there because he seemed sleepy.
But just over an hour later Jordan left the room without permission and a call went out to a special staff response team to find him.
Miss Francis said: ‘He was seen in different parts of the school but would not stop or listen to anyone.’
For around half an hour, she admitted staff did not know where Jordan was until he was seen in the cafeteria but when staff tried to talk to him he was abusive to them and ran away.
Eventually he was persuaded back into the chill room and staff tried to calm him down but he was ‘quite difficult and agitated,’ said Miss Francis.
It was then that the school principal Andrew Bayston decided to exclude Jordan for a day.
But when Jordan realised staff were trying to contact his parents he started shouting ‘mum is getting ill’ and began throwing things around, including a board game and a chair.
Miss Francis said: ‘He was screaming and shouting abuse at staff who decided to leave him in the room to calm down.’
At one stage another class of pupils were moved out of an adjoining room because they could see what was happening.
And because of Jordan’s behaviour the school principal increased the ban to five days.
When Ms Green was contacted she told the school she could not collect him because she was working – but gave permission for the school to let him return home.
But then Jordan’s behaviour deteriorated and two members of staff had to stand in front of a glass door as he tried to punch it and then threw himself at it.
At one stage he picked up a chair and held it above his head, threatening to hit a member of staff with it.
In an attempt to diffuse the situation Miss Francis ordered doors to be opened so that Jordan could leave school after she talked to him and he calmed down.
Moments after leaving school, Jordan returned to pick up his scooter and minutes later returned again, asking for food and he was given some.
But after another meeting between staff the principal decided that Jordan should be excluded from the school permanently.
After that decision had been made, it would be up to the local authority to decide on Jordan’s future.
Miss Francis said that suggestions that Jordan, who lived with his mother, had been bullied were wrong and Jordan had never reported that he had been bullied.
The inquest continues.
DailyPost

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