On the heels of the last story, I'm really beginning to worry. Take a peek at this:
Scruggs was accused of not getting psychological help for 12-year-old Daniel Scruggs before he hanged himself. During the trial, witnesses said she also kept a filthy house and didn't take care of her son's hygiene.
The story goes on:
But Scruggs' lawyers contend Daniel's death was due to bullying at school. Witnesses testified he was pushed, taunted and spit on at school.Norris said prosecutors never presented evidence linking the condition of the home to the suicide. He portrayed Judith Scruggs as a loving single mother who worked two jobs -- one full-time as a teacher's aide in Daniel's school and the other part-time at a Wal-Mart.
Scruggs acknowledged Daniel would sometimes have body odor or bad breath and would soil himself to get out of school. She said she frequently told Daniel to take showers, but sometimes he did not, and she said she could not force him to bathe.
Daniel missed 45 days of school the year he died and had been late 29 other times. Scruggs told police Daniel was afraid of bullies who had kicked and punched him. The boy kept knives in his closet out of fear.
I wonder why the prosecuters didn't go after school officials, who must have known about the bullying. Or, I don't know, how about going after the bullies themselves? Certainly they contributed to the kid's poor mental condition!
But no, they chose to prosecute a single mother working two jobs.
I'm a single father, and my house can get pretty messy at times. Maybe I ought to get a lawyer. You know, just in case some bully picks on my kid.
Posted by Rich at October 7, 2003 12:24 PM | TrackBack12yrs old DANIEL SCRUGGS:
I'm sorry but i do believe that his mother is the blame for this poor little boys death
After reading all the news coverage on the story and not seeing remorse in his death "by the mother"
And better yet she couldn't even take the time to see him off to school.
She showed no responsibility for the child. "any child"
I feel if we are to fight for anyhting they should put away the one responsibile as well.
Jonathan Drinkwater
Toronto Canada
Neglect is responsible
Mother is responsible
The system is responsible
Home life is responsible
School life is responsible
Friends is responsible
Someone should have seen this and prevented it..
Why is it we help or try to chance things after the harm is done.........
How could such a beautiful young boy take his life?
Posted by: on April 12, 2004 8:07 PMI'm sorry, being a mother of four children, Yes i blame the mother. This poor child lived in filth, disgusting filth, went to bed with that filth, woke up with it, and came home from school to it. Never any friends, how could he have friends and bring them to that home ?
The mother said " i told him to take showers" well maybe the kid could not even find the tub, with all the crap and clothes in it, oh wait, i guess he could have just thrown them on the floor. Did the woman ever wash clothes ? Brings me to wonder if she too stunk. The boy was slim, very slim, did he eat at all ? Did mom ever make home cooked meals for him ? My answer would be no. It's an awful thing when a little boy is tormented in school, and yes school officials should have done more. To me the are to blame in this tragedy also. Imagine an 11 year old boy, coming home, always alone, day after day. I don't want to hear, the mother worked 2 jobs as an excuse , I too worked, came home, cleaned my house, fed my children. I had no car, walked to the bus stop, took the bus, then two trains to get to my work. I was dead tired, But the meals were made, the house was clean, and always, always had time to hug each child, and tell them i loved them everyday, every night. I cried reading of this little boy, and the misery of his life.
I don't know how anyone can have the nerve to judge Daniel Scruggs' mother this way. I have no children of my own. I'm lucky to have come from privilege. I can't imagine having two children to raise, working two jobs to try to at least keep a roof over their heads, and somehow taking care of my own health in all of that. I'm exhausted on a Saturday after just a full week of work.
I agree that all parties are responsible--the mother, the school, the bullies. But it's wrong to say "she should have done this" or "she could have done that." We didn't live her life. I am sure she too was depressed after the loss of both of her parents only months before her son's suicide. Probably too depressed to function, and yet she had to.
It is right to be sad, and want systemic changes. It is right to cry for this poor, gifted little boy. But it is very, very wrong to judge his mother to your own standards.
I would just that the school staff, his mother, his sister, and anyone else who knew that the child defecated himself at age 11 should have known that there was a definite problem. Does anyone in this world have common sense?????? Why is it so hard for us to get involved when we see a child that is obviously hurting. Someone needs to teach the school staff about obvious warning signs. That poor poor child, how alone very alone and isolated that little boy must have felt. Why in the world didn't someone get involved. I don't get it. Are the peope in this world really and truly that insensitive??? That child was crying out for HELP in many ways, and no one took the time to hear him. Now hes gone, just because everyone looked the other way. Shame on that mother too. She should have been more attentive. When you carry the title of MOTHER, it demands responsibility as a caregiver. If you cannot handle that responsibility, give that child to someone who can. People take motherhood too lightly. This was a childs LIFE that is now GONE for no good reason.
Posted by: Rebecca on October 22, 2004 5:28 PM