Ashlynn Conner, 10-Year-Old, Hanged Herself After Bullying, Parents Say (VIDEO)

A few weeks ago, 10-year-old Ashlynn Conner told her mother she was being bullied at Ridge Farm Elementary School and in her neighborhood in Ridge Farm, Ill., WTSP reported.

Last week, Ashlynn's mother, denied her daughter's request to be home schooled. The following day, the 10-year-old's sister found her hanging in her closet by a scarf.

The devastated single mother told WCIA3 News she knew her daughter was being picked on, but not to that extent.

"They'd call her a slut," a tearful Conner told the station, "'Ashlynn's ugly.' 'She's fat.'"

While no one from the Georgetown Ridge Farm School District was available to speak with WCIA, they issued a short statement.

"The Board of Education is very saddened at the tragic loss of one of our children. Our hearts go out to her family in this time of loss."

Vermilion County Coroner Peggy Johnson said that they are still investigating into the cause of Ashlynn's death, The News-Gazette reported.

"There are all kinds of aspects of this death to look into," Johnson told The News-Gazette. "Bullying was brought up to us as a piece of the investigation, and we are still finding out information."

WCIA reported that the Conner family is still struggling to come to terms with the loss.

"I don't know what its gonna take to stop it," Conner told the station. "But no child should ever feel like they have to kill themselves to stop that kind of pain."

Last week, 18-year-old Ashley Billasano tweeted 144 times before taking her own life. Not one of her 500 followers reached out to help her.

Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or visit stopbullying.gov. You can also visit The Trevor Project or call them at 866-488-7386.

WATCH:

Comments

[Brike]

12:55 PM on 05/10/2012

One more thought though: WHAT IN THE HELL was a 10 year-old girl doing home alone!? This is illegal everywhere I can think of. The parents were not protecting her, from herself OR others.

[Cari Milton]

01:26 AM on 08/02/2012

Have you read another article that isn't referenced here? Because it doesn't appear to say she WAS home alone. It says she was found having hanged herself the following day... that could well mean she went to bed, and before being forced to endure another day of it hanged herself before getting ready for 'school'. It's very possible that this poor girls parents thought she was still sleeping and found her that way when they went in to wake her? Or that she came home from school and did it then, I know *I* often came home from school before my parents arrived home from work at the age of 10!

My son is 10.. and he IS home schooled, for this very reason. Last year in school he was tormented constantly... and the teachers/admin did nothing to help, in fact on several occasions they hopped on board (principal admitting to 'questioning' him for 90minutes and even yelling at him... until he agreed with HER interpretation of what allegedly took place). After 10 months my son still comes out with some comment about how much he loathes himself...so no way would I let him become THAT statistic.

In other words... place the judgement where it belongs, on the bullies & the school that clearly did not help her... instead of her parents, who have lost their child because of this!?

[drummer 40]

01:15 PM on 09/06/2012

When I was 7 and in 2nd grade, some 4th graders kicked the crap out of me at lunch one day. Keep in mind this was an expensive private Catholic school. I went to my teacher in tears, a boy hating nun, and she just rolled her eyes and said "Oh you always get in trouble...". I was then punished by my peers for telling.

Needless to say, I am not Catholic anymore (for many, many other reasons too) and if I ever have kids, they will be privately educated by instructors that I select to my personal standards of educational excellence and character. After what I've seen in my own life and what others go through, I know there is NO ONE you can trust with your kids if you want them treated properly.

[Brike]

02:52 PM on 10/20/2012

Actually, I HAVE read something else. Police say the bullying was not the primary cause of suicide but rather, a "violent home."

http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-03-20/news/31217132_1_national-symbol-suicide-victims

[LessieS]

08:17 PM on 05/08/2012

aw, younger and younger. cute girl who couldn't see the world.

[Afrosoulsoul4eva]

03:00 PM on 01/23/2012

This bully thing is going overboard. Now people want to bully the bullies? Lets treat bullies like felons and throw children into jail for years. That makes sense don't it. Parents need to teach their children how to have a backbone. I got bullied but killing myself????? that is just sad

[Cari Milton]

11:34 PM on 08/01/2012

Bullies in school often grow up to be bullies in life...and yeah, many of them do end up in jail at that point. Growing a backbone is irrelevant... how about the parents of bullies teach THEIR children to be decent human beings???

Kids are FORCED by law to be in a school every day until they are nearly 18yrs old... if they speak up, and find NO help, they may get to the point of seeing no way out. I can imagine enduring that for years on end would push most people to do things they would not otherwise imagine themselves doing.

[Heather Baines]

02:48 PM on 01/15/2012

This has been happening way to much lately due to bullying. When is something going to happen to stop it?

[Intelligent93]

10:33 PM on 12/20/2011

now that is just sad a kid cant go to school or outside because somebody child think they better than everybody you shouldn't have to hang yourself for some mess parents are supposed to deal with and parents say i got this got what where was the mom when this happened the mom was the one who neede to be hung she could have at least told the principal so the child could get expelled or something now her baby is gone for some dumb mess

[matilda81]

05:43 PM on 12/20/2011

"The devastated single mother told WCIA3 News she knew her daughter was being picked on, but not to that extent."

If your child asks to be home schooled due to bullying, that is an indicator that the bullying is negatively effecting the child deeply. There would have been other warning signs as well. If the mom didn't at least try to talk to the teacher, it seems like she completely dismissed her daughter.

[sexgodkurasan]

07:05 AM on 12/07/2011

I actually know one of the people from this family and they are still taking it very hard. She was a very sweet girl, and her mother didn't know how really horrific it was until it was too late. No child really wants to admit to their parents how badly they're being taunted because they're afraid of how the parents will look at them. Its really hard for kids to admit it and then be looked at by the parents as if they are some how less because they don't know how else to deal with it. Been there, and it still causes me problems now. But Ashlynn didn't need to go that far and I really feel bad for her family, they're good people and they're having a really bad time right now.

[matilda81]

05:46 PM on 12/20/2011

It seems like you are implying that Ashlynn's mother is the type of person who would look down upon her child for being bullied. If a child can't go to their own parents for help, there is a serious problem with those parents.

[sexgodkurasan]

02:35 AM on 12/21/2011

No, because her mother is a very nice person, and not at all that sort. But that's the sort of thing that children think of when they're being bullied and then asked about it by their parents. I know, I thought of it myself when I was younger.

[Brike]

12:53 PM on 05/10/2012

Not true, Matilda. It is humiliating for a young kid to admit to parents and others that the other kids dont like them. They feel so worthless after the ridicule and abuse by other kids that they want to hide it. Plus, the parents forst response is usually "ignore them" or "say it back to them," but they cant stand alone when a group of kids are attacking them like a pack of dogs. These narcisistic little jerks have never learned to value others. its not the victim and her parents to blame, it is the hateful bullies, whose parents dont see them for what they are.

[DENNIS MULGANNON]

05:15 PM on 11/19/2011

To me, bullies are terrorists. They make fun of people, make jokes, and humuliate their victims just becuse they can, and then get a laugh out of it at their victim's expense. They probably won't even care if I died.

I'm still going through life with social anxiety, being socially inept and not knowing how to make and keep friends, and it's only over 20 years later since it's still my instinct to avoid people. Words hurt more than physical fights and that stupid phrase "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me" just gave those terrorists more to make fun of.

Also, pointing them out to your family also gives them more to make fun of. So what will it take to train these terrorists to not be terrorists. Perhaps giving them the experience of what they delt... becoming thoroghly humuliated for years with no end just as their victims where?

Since we are all forced to go to those schools I believe the schools are responsible for the protection of their students from bullying. Going to school all I knew was I was not allowed to punch their face in or I would get in trouble. How do you defend yourself with that when you know no different? Who else is going to protect them?

[Heyward Shepherd]

10:29 AM on 12/17/2011

Been there my friend an it SUCKED to say the least. Too tall, Too fat, even Too smart will get you in trouble. I got to the point where I thought about suicide too but I found a better way. One day I finally summoned the self respect to punch the bully square in the mouth and I got hit but only once and never again from that guy. Yes I know... big deal! The point is schools talk about bullying but do nothing. Even worse if the victim shows any intention to stand up for themselves they get punished. So kids can't take it any more and they can't fight back so they turn it inward and kill themselves. Great system we have!

[isisreptiles]

02:36 AM on 05/09/2012

I've been there. Words can hurt worse than a fist, and the scars remain forever. It's been decades since it happened to me, and I still deal with the effects.

[PenguinLinux]

02:18 PM on 08/20/2012

You choose every moment to let those things affect you or not. I was bullied too, but I chose to move past it because it would harm me if I didn't. In turn, I would them (even unknowingly) harm others because of my own inner pain; so I chose to let it go.

As I tell people in life: You are responsible for the energy you bring to me, but I am responsible for the energy I allow in my life and the energy I bring to others.

[Chekmate]

12:08 PM on 11/18/2011

Riddle me this (sigh):

They dont know where it comes from (supposedly) but it is genetic.There are elements for it-but they say it makes them feel like a rock. The parents dont want to accept it because its their child. Someone that had a parent (without knowing) is affected for their life. Once you identify it the better. As a parent, its one or the other. Let them go, or accept it and live with it-as hard as it is. You can identify it because it jabs and pokes your emotions. They have a loose volume switch. They're not bad or stupid. Some of the most influential people in history have had it.

[dkrypt]

10:30 AM on 11/18/2011

Bullies gravitate towards bullying those who take it hardest - the more emotional and fragile among us.

How do you deal with bullies when you're not strong enough emotionally to handle their taunts and insults? You beat their faces in. For which the school would have punished her. But that would be so much better than suicide.

Poor kid. Never had a chance.

[racerx0909]

07:32 AM on 12/14/2011

Its an animal act they prey on the weak and the rest follow !! I was bullied and beaten on a bus to school. But nothing to this extent and most bully's known to me in these days haven't gotten very far in life.

[isisreptiles]

02:38 AM on 05/09/2012

And what do you do when you are not physically capable of beating their faces in?

[PenguinLinux]

02:19 PM on 08/20/2012

Columbine.

[hyaofcr]

03:36 AM on 11/17/2011

Is anyone else surprised that a 10 year old would know how to hang themselve?

[MJinCanada]

10:50 AM on 11/18/2011

No.

[racerx0909]

07:35 AM on 12/14/2011

No, I'm 46yrs old and remembered my childhood and it was a lot of drooling and rock playing. Children today are extremely advanced mentally nothing compared to us older folks !!!

[SOLESSS]

11:20 PM on 11/16/2011

Who the hell exposed her to the concept of a noose and the reality of hanging yourself to die? Wow.

[dkrypt]

10:27 AM on 11/18/2011

TV, internet

[Ossit]

04:09 PM on 11/16/2011

With these bullying suicides, how many are you still in agreement with your precious corporal punishment to be brought back so more bullying teachers can have their way? I'm sick of children being treated like they're supposed to be physical and verbal whipping posts by teachers, students, and yes some parents who think spanking and slapping a belt on your can is "fine", "normal" with many of these kids grown up thinking it "normal".

[AMARANTHE]

06:52 AM on 06/21/2012

The problem with these little bullies and current/future terrorists is NOT the fact that they have been spanked by their parents. It is the fact that they HAVEN'T been spanked, (or probobly ever truly punished at all.

I believe in "an eye for an eye". Yes, we as Christians are supposed to "turn the other cheek" and "forgive them, for they know not what they do". But, it also says in the Bible that "for every thing there is a season and a time for EVERY purpose under heaven". And for these little heathens, that means to me if you are being bullied, punch them back, and THEN forgive them. It also means to me as parents they should be spanked and punished so badly that they wouldn't dare ever even LOOK at the victims again! I also believe they should be permanently expelled from school.

[PenguinLinux]

02:23 PM on 08/20/2012

....because that's what Jesus would do. *rolls eyes*

[Ossit]

02:35 AM on 06/22/2012

The problem with these little bullies and current/future terrorists is NOT the fact that they have been spanked by their parents. It is the fact that they HAVEN'T been spanked, (or probobly ever truly punished at all.

What nonsense, AMARANTHE. Being bullied on by parents, whom the bully is too scared to confront, they pick on others smaller and weaker. You don't name call others unless you've been name called at home. The ol passive aggressive thing. Can't name call your parents so you find another target. Always beaten up by bullying parents, that bully is too scared to bully their parents, so they pick on smaller and weaker. It's a real shock when they find a target who won't tolerate it and pound the bully to dust. It's people like you who've grown up to think physical abuse calling it "discipline" and "spanking" when kids aren't punching bags, is normal, that's the problem. You'll get one of two results. Bullies, or passive compliants who won't fight back thinking they deserve awful treatment. Well your Bible is full of violence, slavery, awful diseases for not believng in retaliation. You don't beat up your kid and say "I forgive you, Junior". Spanking gets out of hand and a lot of kids are beaten to death.

[Ossit]

03:38 PM on 11/16/2011

The problem is simple to solve. It's the parents' duty NOT the school to teach early how to treat others as they want to be treated. It's the school's duty to not be dismissive about the problem when they see it. It's students' responsibility to stick up for others instead of watching. It's teachers' responsibility to step in.It's everyone's problem. But it starts at home.

[lifepanels]

02:23 PM on 11/16/2011

Heartbreaking.

Our society has become so hateful that children are now being as deeply affected by hate, as the adults who perpetrate it. Adults model these behaviors. Tragedies like this will not stop until the adults in society learn to be more accepting and tolerant. We seem to be going backwards.