'I'm doing better': Jack Reid's parents reveal last conversation with bullied son before his suicide
LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY:The last conversation Jack Reid's parents had with their son, a New Jersey boarding school student who died by suicide after being bullied, has been revealed. On April 30, 2022, Jack Reid, 17, died by suicide in a dormitory at the Lawrenceville School, a boarding and prep school in Mercer County, New Jersey.
A false rumor that Jack had kissed a girl inappropriately spread throughout the school's campus in the spring of 2021. By September, a popular student app had been secretly updated with a false claim that Jack had committed rape, as per reports.
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Who are Jack Reid's parents?
Elizabeth and Bill Reid, Jack's parents, have recently unveiled the last conversation they had with him. In a recent interview with 'Good Morning America', their son, 17, informed them he was "doing better" and said "I love you" before he died by suicide. The last thing we spoke to him before we were supposed to visit him the following day was, "Dad, I'm doing better. I love you."
Prior to Reid's death on April 30, 2022, his parents claimed that administrators at the illustrious Lawrenceville School, where tuition is $76,000 a year, were aware of the persistent bullying and "cruel behavior" Reid was subjected to. Bill said, "We were well aware of what was going on, and we were encouraging him. He advocated for himself. He talked to the school. He talked to his friends," as reported by DailyMail.
Lawrenceville issued a statement over the weekend claiming that "there were steps the school should have taken in hindsight and did not." The statement that was made public over the weekend was a result of an agreement between Jack's parents and the school. Clinical psychologist Elizabeth claimed that she spoke with her son before his death and didn't notice any warning flags.
The boy had been bullied in part because of unfounded claims that he had committed school rapes. Jack received a rape whistle and a book on making friends during a Secret Santa gift exchange among his classmates.
'It even much worse for kids today'
The heart-broken mother told GMA, "Everyone in this room probably knows someone that was bullied as a child, and you do suffer the scars of that. This is a very serious issue, and the Internet absolutely makes it even much worse for kids today." Even though she is inconsolable, Elizabeth told host George Stephanopoulos that talking about their kid gives her "such a pleasure," as per reports.
'He was a leader'
She praised Jack for being polite and adhering to "the Golden Rule," saying she was proud of him. She continued, "He had a lot of friends, he loved his community, and he was a leader." The family is trying to use Jack's story to save other kids. Elizabeth continued, "You lose a child, look around at the rubble and say, "What can I make out of this?" I know Jack would want to save other children. And that's what we want to try to do," as per reports.