14-year-old Jose Zamora’s short tenure at Santa Clara High School came to a tragic end last week, as the freshman took his own life after weeks of taunting for living at a homeless shelter and being raised by a single father.
We have an absolutely gut-wrenching story out of Santa Clara, where KTVU reports a 14-year-old boy died by suicide after classmates bullied him for being homeless. The youngster in question is Jose Zamora, a freshman who’s been attending Santa Clara High School for only three months.
Zamora was also a member of the school’s junior varsity football team, and after his death by suicide a week ago today, his father learned that his teammates had been bullying him for being homeless, and for not having a mother in hs life.
"They were spitting on him, hitting him on the back of the helmet," his father Jose Bautista told KTVU, sobbing with grief. "It's kind of hard. I just don't want this to happen to other people like it happened to me."
After his father struggled to find housing after an eviction, the younger Jose Zamora had been staying at a Santa Clara nonprofit counseling center and shelter known as the Bill Wilson Center. Apparently, his football teammates got word of this.
The Santa Clara Unified School District and the local police department say they’re investigating.
"Administrators have already taken initial actions in response,” Santa Clara Unified Superintendent Gary Waddell said in a statement to KTVU. “We in no way condone bullying, harassment, or retribution of any kind and take any such allegations seriously. We strive to provide as many facts as possible to the community while preserving our duty to protect the privacy and confidentiality of both students and families."
Zamora’s family has started a GoFundMe to help with the costs of the 14-year-old’s funeral and burial.
If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call or text "988" any time day or night to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or chat online.
Image: DanielPenfield via Wikimedia Commons
