YET ANOTHER YOUNG LIFE LOST TO INSIDIOUS PEER INSENSITIVITY AND CRUELTY

By: JILLIAN BENFIELD | WJBF News Channel 6 
Published: January 22, 2013

Columbia County, GA --

Grovetown Middle School students mourning the loss of one of their classmates Tuesday. 8th grader Jerad Meriweather committed suicide. His parents believe he was being bullied at school. Grovetown Middle School leaders say they have no record of Jerad being bullied this year...but his parents believe it's the reason he took his life.

"He was a great kid and we couldn't have asked for a better 13 years." Father Gerald Meriweather says those 13 years of joy ended in tragedy. Friday, he got the worst news of his life.

"All of a sudden I get a call from his mother saying he was not breathing." Meriweather says he spoke with his son Jerad before leaving for work...he says it seemed like everything was fine.

"We have a lot of what if's and why's that as parents you're going to have." Questions as to why his 13 year old, a gifted student who was very involved in school and church, would choose to kill himself. He and his wife have only come up with one reason.

Jillian Benfield "Do you believe your son was bullied?" "Yes and with the law we are actively pursuing that."

Jerad's friends created the Jerad Meriweather Foundation hours after finding out about the tragedy. On the Facebook page, students talk about Jerad being a victim of bullying. Grovetown Middle School Principal Tom Smallwood says they have no record of Jerad being bullied this year, "I'm trying to get the kids to understand, don't speculate on something that you don't know."

Counselor Diana Hess says she talked to Jerad often. She believes he would have spoke up if he was being bullied, "I'm just not sure that the anti-bullying should be linked with Jerad, I hate for that to be his legacy."

"That's probably what a school would say when they've had a tragedy attributed the school," said Meriweather. Meriweather says he's proud of Jerad's friends for creating the foundation and plans to help them make it a success, "We were overwhelmed with the support we got from Jerad's friends, just to know that he was loved."

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