Teen didn't mention bullying in suicide notes, authorities say

Glendale Unified School District officials and Los Angeles County sheriff’s investigators said this week they don't believe that bullying was a factor in the death of a 15-year-old student who jumped to his death at Crescenta Valley High School earlier this month.

The parents of the student, Drew Ferraro, told KCBS-TV in an interview this week that their son wrote in journal entries that he was the target of harassment at school, including name-calling and pushing, and that the incidents might have been a factor in his death.

Drew jumped from the roof of a three-story school building onto a concrete courtyard during the lunch period on Feb. 10, horrifying witnesses and stunning the larger community.

"The fact that he did do it at school, to me, was a huge statement," his mother, Deana Ferraro said during the television interview.

Los Angeles Sheriff’s Lt. John Corina on Wednesday said the bullying issue was not raised by friends, teachers or family members during the early hours of the investigation.

Corina also said Drew did not reference bullying in any of the four suicide notes found on his body.

“His suicide notes were very telling,” Corina told the Glendale News-Press. “They didn’t mention anything about being abused or being bullied. He gave a different reason for doing what he did.”

Investigators were not aware of the existence of Drew’s journal until it came out in the media this week, Corina said, adding that investigators did not plan to review the journal.

“This is a kid here who had problems,” Corina said. “I think he was suffering from deep depression. I think the parents were working with him and were aware of the problem. But we will never understand why he chose to take his life the way he did. That was his decision.”

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-- Megan O'Neil, Times Community News

Photo: A memorial with a portrait of Drew Ferraro at Crescenta Valley High School. Credit: Raul Roa / Glendale News-Press