One Year After Her Son's Suicide, Sirdeaner Walker Issues a Call to Action

April 6, 2010

Anniversaries like this make me angry and morose, so I’ll be brief. One year ago today, 11-year-old Carl Walker-Hoover committed suicide after being abused with anti-gay slurs by classmates while school officials refused to step in.

Please keep Carl’s mother, Sirdeaner Walker, and his little brother in your thoughts and prayers today. It’s going to be a tough one for them. (Find out more about Carl Walker-Hoover’s death here.)

Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover April 17, 1997 - April 6, 2009

Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover
April 17, 1997 - April 6, 2009

Since Carl’s death, Ms. Walker has been working closely with GLSEN. This Monday, she issued a call to action for the campaign to pass the Safe Schools Improvement Act.

To sign the petition and send a message to your congressperson, visit the special website here.




  • edwardfdraganedd

    Nothing gets school bullies’ attention more than a peer being arrested and convicted.
    The teenagers identified in the relentless harassment that led Phoebe Prince to hang herself face criminal charges — a first for bullying a peer.
    Children are dying, taking their own lives. What more motivation do you need to do the right thing? Individual tragedies often cause us to find a way to right a societal wrong. The district attorney’s decisive action could protect countless students from the harms of bullying.
    In the wake of Phoebe’s suicide, Massachusetts is drafting an anti-bullying law. New York still doesn’t have one. New Jersey’s law may be the most comprehensive and protective of students.
    Schools need to make anti-bullying part of their culture. They need to live and breathe it. Administrators and teachers need to listen to kids and parents who report bullying and act swiftly to ensure the harassment ends.

    Edward F. Dragan, Ed.D.
    Litigation Consultant and School Safety Expert
    Education Management Consulting, LLC
    Lambertville, NJ 08530
    (609) 397-8989
    http://www.edmgt.com
    Dr. Dragan is a litigation consultant to attorneys. He is writing a book, “Break Through Bullying: A Step-by-Step Guide to Ending Your Child’s Harassment at School.” He provides expert witness testimony on cases involving bullying, sexual harassment, school accidents, school evaluations in custody matters, and special education. He can be reached at (609) 397-8989 or edragan@edmgt.com

  • edwardfdraganedd

    Nothing gets school bullies’ attention more than a peer being arrested and convicted.
    The teenagers identified in the relentless harassment that led Phoebe Prince to hang herself face criminal charges — a first for bullying a peer.
    Children are dying, taking their own lives. What more motivation do you need to do the right thing? Individual tragedies often cause us to find a way to right a societal wrong. The district attorney’s decisive action could protect countless students from the harms of bullying.
    In the wake of Phoebe’s suicide, Massachusetts is drafting an anti-bullying law. New York still doesn’t have one. New Jersey’s law may be the most comprehensive and protective of students.
    Schools need to make anti-bullying part of their culture. They need to live and breathe it. Administrators and teachers need to listen to kids and parents who report bullying and act swiftly to ensure the harassment ends.

    Edward F. Dragan, Ed.D.
    Litigation Consultant and School Safety Expert
    Education Management Consulting, LLC
    Lambertville, NJ 08530
    (609) 397-8989
    http://www.edmgt.com
    Dr. Dragan is a litigation consultant to attorneys. He is writing a book, “Break Through Bullying: A Step-by-Step Guide to Ending Your Child’s Harassment at School.” He provides expert witness testimony on cases involving bullying, sexual harassment, school accidents, school evaluations in custody matters, and special education. He can be reached at (609) 397-8989 or edragan@edmgt.com

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