Lynden 7th Grader Takes Her Own Life

Lynden, WA – The community of Lynden, Washington is mourning the death of a 13-year old girl to suicide this week.

Vylit VanderGiessen, a 7th grader at Lynden Middle School took her own life after what many are calling a case of extreme bullying.

Lynden School District Assistant Superintendent David VanderYacht sent out an email to parents and students notifying them of Vylit’s Passing.

Alisa Dehaan took to social media with a hashtag #VoiceForVylit to bring awareness to the bullying and lack of coverage of the bullying in the email from VanderYacht.

Below is a copy of her post:

“Dear Parents, Students and Educators of Lynden,

You have said that you are a community grieving the loss of a lift gone too soon. And as Lynden Middle School emailed yesterday to all parents the life was taken by suicide. But what was not addressed, other than mental illness, was the students at Lynden Middle School and the bullying. But what is bullying? Is a bully someone who physically hurts an…other student? Are we to go back to when we were young and what we were taught about sticks and stones? She wasn’t just called names, she was told she was worthless. She was told to go kill yourself. What do you label those words? How do you tell a child to not be affected by words that hold such a sting to degrade another human? Those words were spoken by your children, your students. Lynden, wake up! Your kids and students are not perfect. Don’t try to hide behind the perfect façade anymore. Others can see through it. If the student doesn’t fit the ‘Lynden Mold’ they are tormented!! Are you aware other students have attempted suicide from your middle school simply because they didn’t ‘fit in’? They were told to kill themselves. Look at your kids, look at your students! It is not just simply ‘boys will be boys’ anymore that the middle school has said to parents who have made bullying complaints. Your students are trying to get others to kill themselves! And now that a student who wrote ‘I just can’t take it anymore’ and ended her precious life has happened, will you open your eyes to it? Will you actually look and see that this isn’t just your average bullying, this is both social media and at school, kids telling other kids to kill themselves. Please address what is the root of this and don’t hide under the ‘mental illness’ blanket, but own up to the real problem, your kids are trying to get others to actually die simply because they don’t like them, they are different. This wasn’t mental illness. This was bullying, this was student assisted murder! Your children need to own up to their own involvement that lead to what has happened. And if you truly are a community grieving with us family members than grieve with us knowing these facts. And do something to change this. All Vylit wanted was for the bullying to stop both towards her and for other kids that are being bullied the same way. But instead, the issue of bullying has been ignored, swept under the rug. I am not going to let you ignore it anymore, I am going to bring awareness of what is really happening at Lynden Middle School to light. I am going to be a #VoiceForVylit

A Go Fund Me account has been set up to help the VanderGiessen Family with burial expenses.  The fund has received over $9,200 in donations in three days.  The link to donate can be found here.

 

If you or someone you know is feeling depressed, help is available. 1-800-273-TALK