H-ton Students Hear Strong
Anti-Bullying Message
Huntington High School students assembled in the auditorium last week to listen to a strong anti-bullying message from John Halligan, whose 13 year old son, Ryan committed suicide in October 2003 after being tormented by a group of classmates in his Vermont middle school.
A former IBM engineer, Mr. Halligan has made more than 2,000 presentations in over 1,000 schools across the country. The Huntington High School Parent-Teacher-Student Association invited the renowned speaker to commemorate National Bullying Prevention Month.
Sponsored by New York Auto Giant on behalf of the PTSA, “Ryan’s Story” was presented as part of a 70 minute program, which garnered the strong support of Huntington Principal Carmela Leonardi and Assistant Principal Brenden Cusack.
Mr. Halligan kicked off the presentation by introducing students and teachers to his son through a video montage set to Elton John’s “The Last Song.” The emotional introduction set the stage for the sad story of Ryan Halligan and how his life came to a sudden and tragic end.
The teenager was diagnosed with speech, language and motor skills delays at two years of age. Ryan Halligan was provided with special education services until fourth grade at which time he no longer needed them. Yet he still struggled academically and also wasn’t very athletic. In the fifth grade the bullying started.
By the end of seventh grade in 2003 and over the ensuing summer, Ryan spent many hours sitting at his computer. The bullying had turned to vicious online attacks complete with unfounded and hurtful rumors. The teenager was befriended by a popular girl that summer who pretended to like him. She admitted it was all a game and told him he was a “loser.” This was the last straw for Ryan. He said “it is girls like you who make me want to kill myself.” He committed suicide the next day.
“Mr. Halligan imparted many important messages to the audience,” said Laura Mills, president of Huntington High School’s PTSA. “Bullying doesn’t just affect the kid being bullied, it affects the entire family. Bystanders need to become ‘upstanders;’ people who stand up to their friends when they see bullying happening. Mr. Halligan shared something he learned from his art teacher in high school. He was told you can always turn an ink blot into a butterfly, meaning mistakes can become a lesson learned and a bad situation can turn into something good. His most passionate message to the students in the audience was that ‘You are loved beyond belief. Don’t ever believe that you don’t matter. That no one would miss you if you were gone.’”
It isn’t easy to impress teenagers, but Mr. Halligan’s presentation about his son touched more than a few nerves and tugged at the heart strings of many. The high school students were an attentive audience and seemed genuinely moved.
“Ryan’s Story was such a powerful presentation, giving our students an insight into how destructive bullying and cyber bullying are,” Ms. Mills said. “The topics of depression, suicide and forgiveness rounded out this emotionally charged presentation. I have no doubt this program had a profound and positive impact on our student and for that I am truly grateful.”