Mother of 12-Year-Old Iowa Suicide Victim Takes Stand Against Anti-LGBT Bullying

The mother of a 12-year-old bisexual Iowa suicide victim has criticized the girl's school for not doing enough to protect her from biphobic bullying.

Alyssa Morgan was found dead in her home on 3 April, after repeatedly returning home from school in tears, complaining that she was being harassed for her sexuality and teachers at Southeast Polk Junior High were doing nothing to stop it.

Alyssa's mother told the KCCI news that the school insisted Alyssa just needed to “toughen up”.

“When you have other people telling you that you’re not worthy of anything, or that being bisexual is wrong or somehow disgusting,” she continued, “they’re going to take that into thought — that maybe I wasn’t right for this world.”

In 2013, gay student A.J. Betts also took his life due to homophobic bullying. Fifteen students attending the school have committed suicide in the space of 12 years.

Sheryl Moore, A.J.'s mother, told KCCI: “"They're trying to cover up this stuff and it didn't end with A.J. And now that I see they're trying to cover up their lack of responsibility with this latest suicide, I've decided to speak up, because nothing's going to be done unless the public knows what's going on at Southeast Polk.”