Matthew Burdette - a 14 year old kid bullied to death in San Diego, California

Matthew Burdette

Matthew Burdette, age 14, died on November 29, 2013, at his home in San Diego, California.

Matthew committed suicide and left a note saying that he couldn't handle school any longer and that he had no friends.

Matthew attended University City High School, located in the University City section of San Diego.

Two weeks before his death, Matthew had been at school and eating sunflower seeds at his desk. This is not permissible behavior and Matthew was told by his teacher to leave the room. He wasn't told where to go, so he went to the boy's washroom. He entered a cubicle and masturbated.

Another male student in an adjoining cubicle peered over the top of the cubicle and filmed Matthew with his cell phone. It had to be a cell phone, unless you can walk around this school holding a camcorder.

The boy who filmed this then posted the video to several social media websites.

Matthew was teased, bullied and humiliated without mercy. You don't have to be an Albert Einstein to imagine the way this boy was treated by his peers. There is nothing as thoughtless and nasty as a bunch of smart-ass teenagers. 

When people of any age enter a public washroom and go into a cubicle with a door,

Saint Bernadette of Lourdes, who
said "I am ground like a grain of
wheat", pray for Matthew and
for all who are ground down by
bullying

they do so with the expectation that they are entering a private space, without the possibility of being filmed defecating, urinating, masturbating, scratching your rear end, or doing anything else of a personal nature. 

Not so, in the case of Matthew.

Matthew's parents are suing the school district for $1 million. They allege that the school staff were aware of the video and subsequent bullying but did nothing to prevent it.

The teen who filmed Matthew will appear in Juvenile Court in late July of 2014.

The San Diego School District, of course, has denied any negligence or culpability in this issue. School Boards always do. They don't want to be sued. They frequently state that no one told them that anyone was being bullied. They also frequently state that they do not have the staff resources to babysit their pupils; they are there to teach them only.

Why are students at this school allowed to bring cellphones to school in the first place? Are they fiddling and fooling around with these phones in class, texting, snapping photos and acting the fool when they are supposed to be learning in class?

To any teens who are reading this:

~ Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle. (Plato).
~ Don't contribute to another's downfall. Tomorrow or five years from now, it could be you who is being humiliated and teetering on the edge.
~There is nothing cool about human suffering.

If you are a teenager and you are feeling troubled, call these numbers: 

~ In the U.S., for support on suicide matters call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline at 1-800-273-8255 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org 
 
~ In Britain, call the Samaritans at 08457 90 90 90, or see www.samaritans.org 
 
~ In Canada, phone the "Kids Help Phone" at 1-800-0668-6868 or go to www.kidshelpphone.ca 
 
~ In Australia, phone 13 11 14 (24 hour Telephone Crisis Support) or go to http://www.lifeline.org.au

Matthew's loved ones are devastated over his senseless and tragic death. They describe him as happy before this tragic incident. He was into water polo, wrestling and the Boy Scouts. He will be forever mourned.

Matthew is survived by many loving friends and family members including his mother and father, Barbara and Timothy Burdette; and his sister, Masha.

Pray for all who are tormented.

Pray that Matthew is in heaven. Pray that he is at peace and is with God. Amen.